DETROIT – If your income falls within a certain range, you might qualify for a $1,200 stimulus check from the government as part of its coronavirus aid.
Officials announced $250 billion will be going out to taxpayers. The IRS will be sending the checks, so your relationship with that service matters.
How it works
The average check will be $1,200 per adult and $500 per child.
If you haven’t filed your taxes for 2019, you’ll want to look back at your 2018 tax return. Either way, look for your adjusted gross income or, more simply put, your taxable income.
If you filed individually and you made $75,000 or less, you will qualify for a full check.
If you filed jointly, it’s $150,000 or less for the full check.
If you made more than those figures, you might still qualify for some government cash. Single filers between $75,000 and $99,000 will get a smaller check. For joint filers, the phase out goes from $150,000 to $198,000.
How will you get the money?
To clarify, most payments won’t actually be made through checks. They will be direct deposits into bank accounts the IRS might already have for you.
Otherwise, if you don’t have a bank account or don’t use direct deposit, you can expect a paper check.
The government’s goal is to have the deposits or checks written and delivered in the next three weeks, but it could be May before they arrive.
Special circumstances
This leaves a lot of people in special circumstances wondering whether they will also get a check.
If you are on social security, you will get a check.
If you didn’t make any money last year or having filed a tax return because you don’t make much money, you can get a full check.
But in order to get that money, you will have to file a tax return to give the IRS some way to know you’re there.