Restrictions for dependents getting the full $1,400 payment

Dependents will get $1,400 instead of $500 or $600 and the new  opens up eligibility requirements to  for the first time. Dependents over age 16 didn’t qualify for the first and second checks, but a change here makes college students, and people of any age with certain disabilities entitled to receive money as part of the household total.

That change loops in about  who weren’t counted before, according to the People’s Policy Project.

Citizenship: What if the IRS considers my household mixed-status?

In the , a US citizen and noncitizen spouse were both  as long as they both had Social Security numbers. This has been referred to as a “mixed-status” household when it comes to citizenship. Households with  were left out of the first check.

 includes  where just one member has a Social Security number for a . That potentially includes families with citizen children and noncitizen parents.

In the CARES Act from last March, households with a person who  weren’t eligible to receive a stimulus check, even if one spouse and a child were US citizens. 

Eligibility details for noncitizens and the third stimulus payment

The CARES Act made a Social Security number a requirement for that first stimulus payment. Though other proposals would’ve expanded the eligibility to those with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number because they’re classified as , this group was excluded in the final bill text that authorized a second stimulus check in December as well. 

The new bill expands the qualifications to include all — where at least one member has a Social Security number — for a third check.

Can past-due child support affect my stimulus money total?

If you owed child support, your  (the amount you owed). With the second check, those who to cover past-due payments. The new bill with the $1,400 payment , so your check could be garnished to pay a private past-due debt.

One more exception for people who are missing payments of any amount and need to in their taxes: The protection from garnishment laid out in the second check doesn’t extend to catch-up payments made in the Recovery Rebate Credit, according to the , an independent government agency that works with the IRS. That means that all or part of stimulus money received this way could potentially be seized to pay outstanding debts. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is urging the IRS to keep rebate credits intact.

Yes, inmates can get the third stimulus payment

After months of back and forth, the IRS was ordered by a federal judge to . They are included in the new law, which means they’ll qualify for the $1,400 check. 

The IRS classifies me as an older adult. Is there anything I need to know?

Many , received a first stimulus check under the CARES Act and were eligible for the second one — and are for the third as well. For older adults and retired people, factors like , , your pension and if you’re part of the  (more below) will affect whether you receive a stimulus payment. 

The third stimulus check makes older adult dependents eligible to receive more money on behalf of the household. Here’s how to determine if you .

Nonfilers: You’ll need to file your 2020 tax return this year to get the right stimulus check amount

If you need to add a dependent the IRS doesn’t know about, you’ll need to to claim them. You may also be able to get missing money for the first two checks as well, by .

With the second payment, the IRS used your 2019 tax returns to determine eligibility. in 2018 or 2019, may  under the CARES Act. And this group will qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:

• You’re over 24, you’re not claimed as a dependent and your income is less than $12,200.
• You’re married filing jointly and together your income is less than $24,400.
• You have no income.
• You receive federal benefits, such as . See below for more on SSDI.

Social Security, SSI, SSDI, veteran beneficiaries: What you need to know about eligibility and your stimulus payment

The majority of people who are part of the . This time, many will get their payments on their existing , though some may receive stimulus money a different way. Consult our guide for more on what to know and do, including if you need to by filing a tax return for 2020.

Recipients of the first check received their payments through a non-Direct Express bank account or as a  sent in the mail. In the , these recipients again , along with Railroad Retirement Board and Veterans Administration beneficiaries.

Taxes and stimulus check eligibility: The two go hand-in-hand

For most people, . For example, the most important factor in setting income limits is your , which determines how much of the total stimulus payment you would be entitled to receive. The same holds true with a third stimulus check.