New 'Stimulus Check' Starts in July: $3,600 'Checks' Coming Soon

New 'Stimulus Check' Starts in July: $3,600 'Checks' Coming Soon

The first payments of funds from the expanded child tax credit will arrive in July, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in Congressional testimony in mid-April.

The $1,400 one-time stimulus checks that were mandated as part of the American Rescue Plan have been going out over the course of the last few weeks, with the latest round delivering about 2 million checks.

There is a movement to push through another payment, possibly through a separate package that would have to pass through Congress. But in the meantime, more checks are on the way for some Americans, also as part of the American Rescue Plan.

The first payments of funds from the expanded child tax credit will arrive in July, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in Congressional testimony in mid-April.

“We will launch by July 1 with the absolute best product we are able to put together,” Rettig told the Senate Finance Committee. There had been some speculation, including some based on things Rettig had said, that the IRS, which does not have much experience with sending out recurring payments, would not have the infrastructure in place to get the payments out in time.

The IRS will set up a new online portal that will allow taxpayers to, among other things, update when they have had a new child.

American families will be eligible to receive up to $3,600 per year for each child under the age of six and up to $3,000 annually for each child between six and 17.

As for the existing stimulus checks, those who didn’t yet receive theirs can consult the IRS’ Get My Payment tool, which shows the status of their payment, whether they are eligible, and when they can expect to receive their check.

According to the weekly update released by the IRS last week, the most recent round of stimulus payments consisted of about 2 million of the checks, with a total value of $3.4 billion. It was the sixth round of payments from the American Rescue Plan, bringing the total distributed up to 161 million payments, valued at about $379 billion.

“Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the benefits they're entitled to under the law,” the IRS said in its announcement about the payments that were dated April 21.

There's also been a movement in a handful of states to take the stimulus checks away from prisoners or others convicted of crimes, with prosecutors in Alabama pushing to seize stimulus checks and redistribute that money to victims of crime. It’s not clear, however, if such a move to take the checks would be legal on the part of prosecutors.

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.