$1,400 Stimulus Checks: If You Live Outside of U.S. Are You Disqualified?

$1,400 Stimulus Checks: If You Live Outside of U.S. Are You Disqualified?

If you’re a U.S. citizen living abroad, the IRS should have either direct deposited your first two payment into your U.S. bank account or mailed it to you using your information from your most recent tax return or Social Security retirement or another federal benefits program.

 

You may have heard that the Internal Revenue Service already has sent out a hundred twenty-seven million coronavirus relief checks, but since you live and work abroad, you initially thought that you wouldn’t be eligible for the direct payments.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

According to the details of the American Rescue Plan—just like the first two stimulus payments—all U.S. citizens who live in foreign countries are indeed entitled to the third round of cash deposits.

If you’re a U.S. citizen living abroad, the IRS should have either direct deposited your first two payment into your U.S. bank account or mailed it to you using your information from your most recent tax return or Social Security retirement or another federal benefits program.

However, be aware that the IRS isn’t able to directly deposit money into foreign bank accounts.

Like the rest of the adult population currently residing in the United States, keep in mind that there are still income thresholds that you must meet in order to qualify for the direct payments.

Individuals 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 individual.

Moreover, single parents with at least one dependent who earn $112,500 or less also get the full amount. Families in which some members have different citizenship and immigration classifications are eligible for a payment if at least one person has a Social Security number.

The payments, however, phase out much more quickly than in previous rounds—an individual with an income of $80,000, or a couple with $160,000, will not be receiving any check.

If you are indeed eligible to receive a stimulus check based on your AGI, you can calculate your maximum payout here. For example, let’s say that you’re a family of two adult joint filers with one dependent. In this scenario, you would be eligible to receive a total of $4,200. With two dependents, the check would rise to $5,600, with three dependents $7,000, and so on. Having five dependents would net you close to $10,000.

If you’re still seeking a more specific date on when the payment will arrive, know that you can always log on to the IRS “Get My Payment” tool at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

However, know that some individuals will receive a message that says, “Payment Status Not Available.” “If you get this message, either we have not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment,” the IRS says. “We will continue to send the 2021 Economic Impact Payment to eligible individuals throughout 2021.”

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.