Within the past month, nearly one hundred sixty million coronavirus stimulus checks have been sent out to financially struggling Americans under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

But there have been reports of U.S. citizens currently living and working abroad who were led to initially believe that they wouldn’t be eligible for the direct stimulus payments.

Fortunately for these Americans, there is great news. According to the details of the new legislation—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.

As a U.S. citizen living abroad, the Internal Revenue Service should have either direct deposited the payments into a U.S. bank account or mailed them using information from the 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 to meet in order to qualify for the direct payments. Individuals who earn as much as $75,000 in adjusted gross income, 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 valid 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.

For those seeking a more specific date on when the payment will arrive, know that taxpayers can always log on 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.  

Be aware, though, 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.”  

Others will get a “Need More Information” message, which means that the stimulus check was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it. If a taxpayer’s address has recently changed, the best way to update it is to “file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you haven’t already done so. Once we receive your current address, we will reissue your payment,” the IRS noted.  

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.  

Image: Reuters