Coronavirus stimulus checks: Who gets money and when?

Everything you need to know about the administration’s
direct cash relief

The Trump administration and lawmakers are moving ahead with a plan to
give many American households direct cash relief amid the economic fallout
from the coronavirus outbreak.
The payments are expected to be $1,200 per adult for those with adjusted
gross incomes of up to $75,000. The threshold for married couples is
$150,000 – they are eligible for $2,400 and $500 per child.
The relief is intended to hold Americans over until the U.S. economy is up and
running again – the federal government and state governments have made
the decision to shut down many businesses in an attempt to limit human-to-
human contact. As a result, many people have either found themselves
without a job or with reduced hours.
Here’s what you need to know about the direct cash relief:
Eligibility
In order to receive the benefit, an individual must have a work-eligible Social
Security number. He or she cannot be the dependent of another taxpayer.
The relief applies to both people without incomes and those whose sole
income is derived from a benefit program, like Social Security.
What you need to do
The IRS is administering the program and will determine eligibility based on
your 2019 tax return. If that has not been filed, the agency will look at your
2018 paperwork. That includes individuals who file returns for the Earned
Income Tax Credit but do not otherwise pay taxes.

The individual is not expected to need to take any action.
Phase-out rate
The phase-out rate is $5 for every $100 above the threshold.
For example, for individuals earning $75,500, the check would be reduced to
$1,175.
The benefit phases out entirely for those earning more than $99,000
($146,500 for heads of household with one child and $198,000 for joint filers
without children).
Timing
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday that people can expect to
receive their checks in three weeks, on April 17 – which is when the direct
deposits will go into people’s accounts. It is believed that a check in the mail
could take a bit longer.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that individuals without direct
deposit accounts could be waiting up to four months to receive the cash.
A spokesperson for the IRS did not return FOX Business’ request for
comment on that report.
About 15 days after the payment is made, the taxpayer will get a notice in the
mail explaining the payment and providing a phone number to call if it was not
received.
FOX Business’ Hillary Vaughn contributed to this article.