When Is My Third Stimulus Check Coming? If you qualify, it should be arriving soon.
By Kenny Herzog
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As you've probably heard by now, President Biden is potentially mere hours away from signing his American Rescue Plan into law. The $1.9 trillion Covid-relief package, which will allocate billions of dollars in targeted assistance to states and municipalities, schools, national vaccination efforts and other areas of need, comes virtually a full year after last spring's similarly sweeping CARES Act.
The latter bill earmarked up to $1,200 per individual in no-strings-attached stimulus checks (or up to $2,400 per household) for millions of Americans and their dependents. Late last year, then-President Trump enacted something of a skinnier relief package that allowed for a second round of stimulus checks to those eligible, but with maximum payments halved.
And after much partisan handwringing, the American Rescue Plan — once officially on the books — will re-up those payments to as much as $1,400 per individual and $2,800 per household, with additional checks for any dependents. However, as a concession to moderate Democrats, there are new annual-salary caps on eligibility, among other adjusted guidelines (full text of the bill is here, and the IRS will likely soon be publishing concise stimulus-check guidance a la this FAQ from the last round).
Related: Senate Votes to Clear Way for $1,400 Stimulus Checks
So, assuming you meet the criteria, when will yours arrive? Soon. Certainly with greater haste than the second round, which was prolonged interminably as talks around the broader second relief package stalled for months. But once said second relief package became law just after Christmas, the checks were ultimately began arriving in folks' accounts and mailboxes over the next couple of weeks. And analysts anticipate a similarly speedy deployment post-Rescue Plan.
One analyst cited by CBS News went so far as to remark, "By next weekend, a couple making less than $160,000 could well have $2,800 deposited into their checking account." And that tracks with Biden's recent assurance that the money will begin making its way into Americans' wallets "as soon as" Congress passes his legislation.
We recommend continuing to monitor the IRS' website for any updates, and to consult your employer or accountant — or whomever has a handle on the stimulus specifications — with any questions about your eligibility.
