Stimulus checks are available to eligible U.S. individuals with Social Security numbers. However, eligibility rules vary depending on the checks.
For the first two payments, anyone claimed as a dependent wasn’t eligible for their own check. However, individuals who claimed dependents under 17 could receive a payment for them. The third check still prohibits dependents from claiming their own checks. However, individuals who claim dependents can now receive a payment for adult dependents as well as for dependent children over age 17.
There are also income limits. Each of the three checks is available in full to single tax filers with an income under $75,00. Heads of house with an income under $112,500 are also eligible, as are married joint filers with an income under $150,000. However, phase-out rules — the level at which high earners lose eligibility for checks — differ for each payment, as we’ll discuss in more detail below.
The IRS utilized tax return information from 2018 or 2019 to determine income and eligibility for the first two checks. It will use tax return information from 2019 or 2020 to determine income and eligibility for the third payment. The agency also obtained information from the Social Security Administration and VA to send payments to benefits recipients who don’t file tax returns. And it established an online form for non-filers to claim their payments.