Stimulus check Round 2: Who qualifies for a second payment? What we know so far

If a second stimulus check is approved by Congress, would you be eligible for more money? And when would the second stimulus payment arrive? The answers about qualifications and timeline are anything but simple.

Even if another round of stimulus checks gets the president’s signature, there’s no clear understanding of who will qualify — and who won’t. Depending on which leader is talking, another stimulus package in 2020 could directly help more people than the first one, could apply to fewer people, or might only give money to businesses, with no checks for individuals at all.

Meanwhile, some people are still waiting for the stimulus payments authorized by March’s CARES Act. The country is in a recession, and benefits such as delayed eviction and enhanced unemployment are scheduled to run out in about a month, unless the government takes action.

Here’s the current discussion on who might or might not get another stimulus payment. The situation and this story update often. 

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Who isn’t eligible for a stimulus check today?

Before looking at who might be eligible for a second stimulus check, let’s review who’s been excluded in the first round.

• A single taxpayer with an adjusted gross income (AGI) above $99,000
• A head of a household with an AGI over $136,500
• A married couple with an AGI over $198,000
• Children over 16 and college students under age 24
• A nonresident alien as defined by the US government

Who would qualify for another stimulus payment?

The Heroes Act (PDF) passed by the House of Representatives in May proposes broad financial benefits to individuals, families and categories that were skipped by the first stimulus check, including most college students, for example, and people who aren’t US citizens.

But the Heroes Act has been strenuously opposed by the Senate and President Donald Trump, who called it DOA. On the other end of the spectrum, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that if his chamber passes another relief bill that includes more stimulus checks, the focus will be narrow.

Some suggest that if there is a second stimulus payment, it should be targeted to people in most urgent need. That would mean far fewer people would receive a check or bank account deposit from the IRS.

There aren’t any confirmed details yet. For now, here are some possible scenarios for who may or may not be eligible, drawn from the Heroes Act and comments by White House and Senate leaders. Consider these speculative, and not a matter of fact. Here’s additional information about the proposals and how much money you might get.

Who could potentially qualify for a broad second stimulus payment?

• Individuals who made less than $99,000 according to the adjusted gross income from their 2018 or 2019 taxes (whichever was most recently filed).
• College students, dependents over 17, disabled relatives and a taxpayer’s parent.  
• Families of up to five people.
• People who aren’t US citizens and file tax returns, pay taxes and otherwise comply with federal tax law using an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security number.

Who might not qualify for a second payment?

Based on speculation, there are some different ways exclusion from a potential second stimulus check could play out.

Nobody qualifies: A stimulus package could be signed into law that gives tax credits and other incentives to businesses. It’s possible some people could get a travel or dining credit, but not a check.

People who make “too much” money: If another round of stimulus payments does pass, but allocations are smaller for IRS payments, it’s possible there could be a lower maximum yearly income (AGI on the tax form) to qualify. In other words, people who make more than a certain amount (that’s lower than the current cutoff of $99,000 for individuals) could potentially be left out of a second round.

Carryover exclusions from the current CARES Act: Young people between 18 and 24, people who aren’t US citizens but pay taxes, people who are incarcerated.

When will we know more about stimulus check qualifications?

We won’t know anything for sure until a stimulus bill comes into clearer focus. You can read more about the suspected timeline here, but in general, here’s what we know.

Senator McConnell has said several times if the Senate starts work on a second package, it will be in July. To meet McConnell’s dates, legislators will have to work around several extended breaks when the Senate is not in session: a scheduled two-week recess from July 3 until July 17 and its August recess running Aug. 10 to Sept. 7. 

For more, here’s what we know about the major proposals for a second stimulus package. We also have information on unemployment insurance, what you can do if you’ve lost your job and what to know about evictions.