ATLANTA — Once the stimulus package was signed into law, 11Alive started getting e-mails from viewers asking questions. So we reached out to financial expert Andrew Poulos to get the answers.
Who is eligible?
Poulos: "Anyone who's got income as an individual $75,000 or less, or in the household $150,000 or less will qualify for direct payments."
Do I need to sign up or apply to get a check?
The answer is no: the IRS already has what they need from you filing your taxes.
Poulos: "It's going to be automatic based on income so the IRS will go through, search the parameters based on income requirements."
How much is paid for each person living in the house?
Poulos: "This time, they've made it a flat $600 for everyone; so, if you're married and filing jointly, it's $1200, $600 per individual and, then, $600 per child."
Now that the House has approved a $2,000 payment, do I get a bigger check?
Not just yet.
Poulos: "So, it did pass with enough votes to get to the Senate, but that does mean that the Senate has to or will take it up for vote."
How soon will I get my check?
Probably not until late January or early February.
Poulos: "Basically, it's a holiday week right now. Last week and this week and we're going into New Year's. The IRS typically shuts down this time of year to do maintenance and get ready for tax season."
What happens if I changed my address since the last stimulus payment?
Direct deposit eliminates that concern, but if you don't already have that arranged, you can change it online.
Poulos: "You may need to do an address change with IRS, you go to IRS.GOV then search for change address- of course that could take time because it requires processing."
Is there another payment on the way after this one?
Poulos: "At this point in time, the bill has been signed into law. But what we might see is another bill come to the table in a couple of weeks with a higher stimulus payment of $2,000."
Can this check be garnished for back child support payments?
Poulos: "I suspect a direct payment like this will probably be eligible for garnishment for child support that is not current."
Can inmates who have been incarcerated for years get a stimulus check?
The answer is no. To be eligible, you would have had to have worked last year and filed an income tax return and, if incarcerated for years, that did not happen.
If I was supposed to get a check earlier this year and didn't, what should I do?
Check your taxes.
Poulos: "The IRS has told us that it will reconcile on your tax return and you will get it as part of your refund for tax season 2020 when you file the return."
To do this, go to the IRS economic impact payment to file for a recovery rebate if you qualified for the previous stimulus but never received it.