We now know who’s eligible for a second stimulus check.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Stimulus check qualifications were always convoluted, but now with a second stimulus check, some of the rules have changed. Your income limit — determined by your adjusted gross income — is only one piece of the eligibility puzzle. There are also a lot of situations that take into account your age, citizenship, tax status and how old your children are. We’ll walk you through who isn’t eligible for another stimulus payment, and the major qualification changes between the first and second stimulus check.
The IRS has now begun sending second stimulus checks through direct deposit, physical checks and EIP cards. (Here’s how to track your payment in the mail.)
Our chart below will help you understand which groups of people may get a $600 second stimulus check, and our second stimulus check calculator can help you estimate your household’s payment based on your personal situation. We update this story often.
Why the income limit is lower to qualify for a second stimulus check
The new stimulus bill sets the income limits for a $600 second check closely to the first, but comes with a few adjustments. As with the first direct payment under the CARES Act, the income limits are based on your adjusted gross income, or AGI.
In one change for the $600 check, Congress decided to just use your 2019 AGI to determine if you qualify for a stimulus check, assuming you meet the other requirements — and not your AGI from 2018 if you didn’t file a tax return in 2019. (More below for people who don’t normally file taxes.)
The chart below shows the income limits for the second stimulus check, which is lower than the first because of this formula the IRS uses. The first figure below represents the lower income limit to receive the full amount. Above that figure, your check amount would decrease on a sliding scale the higher your AGI, until it hits the second figure, which is the most you can make before you’re disqualified. These income limits do not include qualified children — use our stimulus check calculator to estimate your specific situation.
$600 second stimulus check income limits
| AGI to receive full amount | AGI to phase out of payment | Down from | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single tax filer | Under $75,000 | $87,000 | $99,000 |
| Head of a household | Under $112,500 | $124,500 | $146,000 |
| Married, filing jointly | Under $150,00 | $174,000 | $198,000 |
Adults and qualified kids count for up to $600 with the second stimulus payment
With the second stimulus check, each eligible adult will get up to $600, decreasing as income raises (more on this above) and each child dependent — age 16 and younger — can also qualify for a $600 payment. There is no cap on how many children you can claim for a payment.
Watch this:
Second stimulus checks: Everything you need to know
3:22
As with the first stimulus check, children age 17 and above and dependent adults will not be eligible for the $600 dependent payout. This excludes roughly 13.5 million adult dependents from contributing to the household total, according to the People’s Policy Project.
Read more: Nobody can take your stimulus check away, right? Know your rights
Who qualifies for a second stimulus check
| Qualifying group | Covered in final law |
|---|---|
| Individuals | An AGI of less than $87,000 |
| Head of household | An AGI of less than $124,500 |
| Couple filing jointly | An AGI less than $174,000 |
| Children under 17 years old | $600 apiece, no limit on number of children |
| Families with noncitizen spouse | Provided they meet other qualifications |
| US citizens living abroad | Yes, same as CARES |
| Citizens of US territories | Yes, same as CARES, with payments handled by each territory |
| SSDI and other tax nonfilers | Yes, but may require an extra step to claim (more below) |
| Incarcerated people | Initially excluded by IRS interpretation, but now included by court order |
| People who owe child support | Excluded under CARES, but included in new bill |
| Disqualified groups |
Not covered in final law |
| Non-US citizens | “Resident aliens” are not included |
| Noncitizens who pay taxes | Not included if spouse is not US citizen |
Am important change qualifies ‘mixed-status’ families
In the $900 billion stimulus package, a US citizen and their noncitizen spouse are both eligible for a payment as long as they have Social Security numbers. This has been referred to as a “mixed-status” household when it comes to citizenship.
In the CARES Act from March, households with a person who was not a US citizen were not eligible to receive a stimulus check, even if one spouse and a child were US citizens.
Excluded: Noncitizens who file federal taxes but aren’t married to US citizens
The CARES Act made a Social Security number a requirement for a payment. While earlier proposals would have expanded the eligibility to those with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number because they’re classified as a resident or nonresident alien, this group of people is again excluded in the final bill text.
The definition of a child dependent did not change with a second stimulus check after all.
Angela Lang/CNET
Second stimulus checks and child support debt
If you owed child support, your first stimulus money could be taken for arrears (the amount you owe). In the new bill, those who owe child support will not have their payment garnished to cover past-due payments.
Incarcerated citizens can qualify for a second stimulus payment as the law stands
After months of back and forth, the IRS was ordered by a federal judge to send the first stimulus checks to people who are incarcerated. They are not excluded from the new law, which means eligibility for this group currently stands.
How much stimulus money you could get depends on who you are.
Angela Lang/CNET
Will my taxes affect the stimulus payment total? What if I don’t typically file taxes?
For most people, taxes and stimulus checks are tightly connected. For example, the most important factor in setting income limits is AGI, which determines how much of the total amount you could receive, be it $600 or $1,200 for individuals and $1,200 or $2,400 for married couples (excluding children for now).
Read below for your eligibility if you don’t typically file taxes.
If you’re an older or retired adult, here’s what you need to know
Many older adults, including retirees over age 65, received a first stimulus check under the CARES Act, and will be eligible for a second one. For older adults and retired people, factors like your tax filings, your AGI, your pension and if you’re part of the SSI or SSDI program (more below) will affect if you receive a second payment.
I haven’t submitted my 2019 federal tax return. Could I still get the second stimulus check?
With the second payment, the IRS will use your 2019 tax returns to determine eligibility. People who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019 may still be eligible to receive the first stimulus check under the CARES Act. And this group will qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:
With the first stimulus check, nonfilers needed to provide the IRS with some information before they could receive their payment. (If you still haven’t received a first check even though you were eligible, the IRS said you can claim it on your taxes in 2021.) This fall, the IRS attempted to contact 9 million Americans who may have fallen into this category but who haven’t requested their payment. Those in this group can claim their payment on next year’s taxes.
Under the new law, those who used the IRS the Nonfiler portal to file for the first check will also receive a second payment. We’ve reached out to the IRS and US Treasury to clarify what action, if any, these “nonfilers” will need to take.
Am I eligible for a stimulus payment if I have SSI or SSDI?
Those who are part of the SSI or SSDI program qualified for a check under the CARES Act. Recipients wouldn’t receive their payments via their Direct Express card, which the government typically uses to distribute federal benefits, but through a non-Direct Express bank account or as a paper check. SSDI recipients can file next year to request a payment for themselves and dependents.
Under the new law, these recipients will again qualify to receive payments, along with Railroad Retirement Board and Veterans Administration beneficiaries.
For more, here’s what we know about the contents of the new stimulus package. We also have information on the chances of a third stimulus check in 2021. Here are the top things you should know about the second stimulus check.