Many US Expats have been wondering when will they get their Stimulus Check. Good news is that the IRS has already started sending out economic stimulus payments authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to The Washington Post, the IRS also has a timetable for getting checks to every American who is entitled to one. Unfortunately, though, not everyone gets their payment right away. In fact, it looks like some Americans won’t get stimulus money until September.
Direct Deposit Payments Are Going Out Now
The IRS has already started issuing electronic Stimulus Checks through direct deposit. More payments should arrive in taxpayers’ bank accounts in the next couple of weeks.
Will you get an electronic payment? It depends on whether the IRS has your bank account information. If you signed up for direct deposit of a refund on your 2018 or 2019 tax return, then the IRS has all the information it needs to pay you Stimulus Check electronically. If you haven’t filed your 2019 return yet, you still might have time to file before the IRS issues your payment. You might even get a bigger Stimulus Check if you file your 2019 tax return now. (On the other hand, you could get more money by waiting to file your return–it all depends on your own situation.)
The IRS also has an online “Get My Payment” tool where you can check your Stimulus Check status, confirm your payment type (direct deposit or paper check), and enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn’t already have that information and they haven’t sent your payment yet.
If you receive Social Security benefits and typically don’t file a tax return, the IRS will use information from your Social Security benefits statement to calculate the Stimulus Check amount. They will also send your stimulus payment electronically if that’s how you normally receive your Social Security payments.
For other people who usually don’t file a tax return, the IRS has an online portal where you can file a “simple return” to provide your bank account information.
If a direct deposit payment is rejected (e.g., if the bank account information is incorrect), the IRS will mail you a paper Stimulus Check instead.
Paper Stimulus Check Will Take Longer
If the IRS has to send you a paper Stimulus Check, you won’t get your payment until late April at best. And the higher your income, the longer it will take to get your money. (For taxpayers without children, Stimulus Check amounts are reduced to zero for single taxpayers with adjusted gross income above $99,000, head-of-household filers with AGI above $136,500, and joint filers with AGI above $198,000.)
According to reports, here’s the timetable the IRS plans to use for mailing paper Stimulus Check:
IRS Schedule For Mailing Paper Checks
Taxpayer Income Date Check Mailed
| $0 to $10,000 | April 24 |
| $10,001 to $20,000 | May 1 |
| $20,001 to $30,000 | May 8 |
| $30,001 to $40,000 | May 15 |
| $40,001 to $50,000 | May 22 |
| $50,001 to $60,000 | May 29 |
| $60,001 to $70,000 | June 5 |
| $70,001 to $80,000 | June 12 |
| $80,001 to $90,000 | June 19 |
| $90,001 to $100,000 | June 26 |
| $100,001 to $110,000 | July 3 |
| $110,001 to $120,000 | July 10 |
| $120,001 to $130,000 | July 17 |
| $130,001 to $140,000 | July 24 |
| $140,001 to $150,000 | July 31 |
| $150,001 to $160,000 | August 7 |
| $160,001 to $170,000 | August 14 |
| $170,001 to $180,000 | August 21 |
| $180,001 to $190,000 | August 28 |
| $190,001 to $200,000 | September 4 |
| All Others | September 11 |