Here's What You Need To Remember: Of those checks sent out, be aware that many U.S. taxpayers have already received via direct deposit or traditional mail in the amounts of $5,600, $7,000, $8,400, or even $11,200.

It appears that $1,400 is the magic coronavirus stimulus check dollar amount. But if one takes the time to do his or her homework, that monetary figure could end up being quite a bit more.

To date, know that more than 85 percent of the $450 billion total earmarked for stimulus payments already has been sent out by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. And the latest much-anticipated sixth batch has disbursed two million more payments to struggling Americans.

Of those checks sent out, be aware that many U.S. taxpayers have already received via direct deposit or traditional mail in the amounts of $5,600, $7,000, $8,400, or even $11,200.

First, in order to calculate exactly how much stimulus money an individual should be getting, one should check to see if they even qualify. Keep in mind that the IRS does not send out a notice that lets people know the final total amount due to them.

According to President Joe Biden’s legislation, those who earn as much as $75,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI)—or couples making $150,000, in addition to their children or adult dependents—qualify for the full $1,400 per person. In addition, single parents with at least one dependent who earn $112,500 or less also get the full amount.

Be aware, though, that the stimulus payments phase out much more quickly than in the previous two rounds. A person with an income of $80,000, or a married couple with $160,000, will not receive any check this time around. 

After confirming eligibility, then make sure to take advantage of a stimulus payment calculator that’s widely available on the internet. There are plenty to choose from on many financial or tax-related websites, but one advice would be to use one from a reputable source.

If a taxpayer is still left wondering what the actual maximum payout is, know that it all depends on how many dependents one has. For example, let’s say that a person is eligible for the maximum amount based on the AGI, and that he or she is a part of a family of two adult joint filers with one dependent. In this particular scenario, they would qualify to receive a total of $4,200. And with two dependents, the stimulus payment would rise to $5,600, with three dependents $7,000, and so on. A large family with five dependents would net nearly $10,000.

For those who are still sitting around empty-handed and want a more concrete answer regarding their payment status, just head over to the IRS “Get My Payment” tool at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. To use it, one will just need to enter his or her full Social Security or tax ID number, date of birth, street address, and ZIP code.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.