Tax News Second Coronavirus Relief Package: What Does it Mean for You and a Second Stimulus Check Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by TurboTaxLisa Published Jan 11, 2021 - [Updated Feb 11, 2025] 7 min read This content is for the second coronavirus relief package, which was signed into law in December 2020. For information on the third coronavirus relief package, please visit our “American Rescue Plan: What Does it Mean for You and a Third Stimulus Check” blog post. A second stimulus is coming for millions of Americans. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 – a $900B relief package to deliver the second round of economic stimulus for individuals, families, and businesses was signed into law December 27, 2020. The bill provides relief through multiple measures and expands many of the provisions already put into place under the CARES Act, including a second round of direct stimulus payments to individuals and families. Here is what relief is included: Stimulus Payments for Individuals and Joint Taxpayers A second wave of direct stimulus payments for millions of Americans – up to $600 for eligible individuals, $1,200 for joint taxpayers, and an additional $600 for each dependent child under 17 – is on the way for millions. This means a family with two children could receive $2,400. There is nothing you need to do to get a stimulus payment. The IRS has begun to issue stimulus payments using the most recent information they have on file, likely from your 2019 tax return, either by direct deposit or by check. As part of the income tax filing, the IRS receives accurate banking information for all TurboTax filers who receive a tax refund, which the IRS is able to use to deposit stimulus payments. For up to date information on your stimulus payment, visit the IRS Get My Payment tool. So, how do you know if you may be eligible to receive a second stimulus payment? If you have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $75,000 ($150,000 married filing jointly), you could be eligible for the full amount of the recovery rebate. *Note, adjusted gross income (AGI) is your gross income like wages, salaries, or interest minus adjustments for eligible deductions like student loan interest or your IRA deduction. Your AGI can be found on line 8b of your 2019 Form 1040. As your AGI increases over $75,000 ($150,000 married filing jointly), the stimulus amount will go down. The stimulus check rebate will completely phase out at $87,000 for single filers with no qualifying dependents and $174,000 for those married filing jointly with no dependents. The bill also expands stimulus payments to mixed-status households (households with different immigration and citizenship statuses), meaning more households may be eligible for this stimulus than were for the first round. This may be retroactive, so some individuals that were ineligible for the first stimulus, provided under the CARES Act, may then be eligible to receive that payment as well. *Note, if you think you may have been eligible for the first stimulus, but didn’t receive it, don’t worry. TurboTax will help you claim your stimulus payment in the form of a recovery rebate credit when you file your 2020 tax return. Those people receiving Social Security retirement, disability, Railroad Retirement, VA, or SSI income and are not typically required to file a tax return, will again receive a stimulus payment. As in the first round, the IRS would use the information from your Form SSA-1099, Form RRB-1099, or the Veterans Administration to generate your stimulus payment. Why haven’t I received my stimulus payment yet? Unfortunately, because of an IRS error, millions of payments were sent to the wrong accounts and some may not have received their stimulus payment. We have been working tirelessly with the Treasury and IRS to get stimulus payments to our customers. We know how important these funds are for so many Americans and we regret that an IRS error caused a delay. UPDATE – January 8th We are happy to share that stimulus payments will begin to be deposited on January 8th for millions of our customers affected by the IRS error. We expect most of these payments to be available that day, but banks could take a few business days to process. Payment will be deposited into the same bank account that customers received their 2019 tax refund. Customers receiving a stimulus payment will receive an email from TurboTax informing them of the deposit. We will have more emails going out in the coming days – so if you did not receive one on January 8th, it could still be coming. We appreciate your patience as these payments are processed. This update may not immediately be reflected in the IRS Get My Payment tool. For more information, visit “Where’s My Second Stimulus Check?” article. Extended Unemployment Unemployment payments will increase by $300 per week and the benefits will be extended until March 14, 2021. The bill also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which expands unemployment to those who are not usually eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits. This means that self-employed, freelancers, and side giggers will continue to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Certain workers who have at least $5,000 per year in self-employment income, but are disqualified from receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance because they also have an employer could also be eligible for an additional $100 per week in unemployment benefits. For more information on what the new coronavirus relief package means for the unemployed, visit our blog post here. Special Lookback for Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit This is a very important provision which has the potential to help workers who experienced lower income in 2020, or received unemployment income in lieu of their regular wages, get bigger tax credits and larger refunds in the coming year. The special lookback rule will allow lower income individuals to use their earned income from 2019 to determine their Earned Income Tax Credit and the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit in 2020, since their lower 2020 income could reduce the amount they are eligible for. The Earned Income Tax Credit is the country’s largest program for working people with low to moderate income. More than 25 million eligible tax filers received federal Earned Income Tax Credit last tax season and the average Earned Income Tax Credit was $2,476 per filer. Expanded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for Small Businesses and Eligible Non-Profits The Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020, provides a second round of payments under the Paycheck Protection Program. Self-employed individuals, small businesses, small 501(c)(6) organizations, restaurants, live venues, and EIDL grants will again be eligible. Also, businesses experiencing severe revenue reductions will have the opportunity to apply for a second PPP loan. Businesses with 300 or fewer employees that have experienced 25% revenue loss in any 2020 quarter and small 501(c)(6) organizations that have 150 employees or fewer would be eligible for a Paycheck Protection Program under the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Package. The expanded Paycheck Protection Program, also broadens the type of business expenses that can be forgiven under the loan to include supplier costs, will allow business expenses paid utilizing PPP proceeds to be tax deductible, and would simplify the loan forgiveness process. Contractor Paid Leave Contractors who were temporarily unable to work due to facility closures and other restrictions could be able to receive reimbursement for paid leave from federal agencies. Eviction Moratorium and Rental Assistance The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 extends the moratorium on evictions under the CARES Act, designed to protect renters from eviction, until January 31, 2021. Families struggling to pay rent or with past due rent could be able to get assistance with paying past due rent, future rent payments, as well as utility bills. Tax Extenders The bill includes the permanent passage and, in some cases, multi-year extension of many additional tax provisions – commonly referred to as tax extenders. Tax Extenders provide tax relief and support for families and individuals through various mortgage relief, education and medical expense relief. Check back here for more details. TurboTax Has You Covered Don’t worry about knowing these tax provisions. TurboTax is here for you and will continue to keep you updated on coronavirus relief as more details and guidance come out. Be sure to check back with the TurboTax Blog and our TurboTax Coronavirus Tax Center for the latest information. Previous Post What Does the Second Coronavirus Relief Bill Mean for the… Next Post Where’s My Second Stimulus Check? Written by Lisa Greene-Lewis Lisa has over 20 years of experience in tax preparation. Her success is attributed to being able to interpret tax laws and help clients better understand them. She has held positions as a public auditor, controller, and operations manager. Lisa has appeared on the Steve Harvey Show, the Ellen Show, and major news broadcast to break down tax laws and help taxpayers understand what tax laws mean to them. For Lisa, getting timely and accurate information out to taxpayers to help them keep more of their money is paramount. More from Lisa Greene-Lewis Follow Lisa Greene-Lewis on Twitter. 54 responses to “Second Coronavirus Relief Package: What Does it Mean for You and a Second Stimulus Check” Newer Comments » Are the stimulus funds received considered taxable income? Reply Hi Eric! The Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus payments (both the first and second) are an advance rebate and are not considered taxable income. Also, if you receive too little based on your 2020 income you may be able to claim more when you file your 2020 taxes in the form of a recovery rebate credit. If you received too much per the IRS you don’t have to pay it back. TurboTax will guide you through claiming the recovery rebate credit if you are eligible. Hope this helps! Thanks, Katharina Reekmans Reply Hi. For the 2nd stimulus payment will TurboTax help us claim the full payment in the form of a recovery rebate credit as it does for the first one under the Cares Act. My 2020 AGI is below the threshold requirement due to the pandemic. 2019 was not. Thanks, Kevin Reply Hi Kevin, If you are eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes TurboTax will guide you through this to make sure you get every dollar you deserve. Hope this helps! Thank you, Katharina Reekmans Reply Hello, If someone claim their parent, can that parent apply to get a stimulus check? They don’t do taxes because they falls under the taxes of their child’s household. Reply Hi Jay, If you claim your parent as a dependent, as it pertains to the stimulus payments they do not qualify for an additional payment. The IRS is responsible for determining taxpayer eligibility for receiving a stimulus and, if a taxpayer is eligible, how and when the stimulus payments will be delivered to them. The dependent rules for the stimulus are for dependents under age 17. Besides meeting the income requirements Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you: Were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020 Were not claimed as a dependent Have a social security number valid for employment that is issued before the due date of your 2020 tax return. Hope this helps. Thanks, Katharina Reekmans Reply Hi Lisa, thank you for the great article, I have a question regarding the tax treatment for the IRA withdrawal during 2020, is there anyway to avoid or reduce penalty if income was not reduced? Reply Hi Alfred, Under the CARES Act, if you made a coronavirus related withdrawal, meaning you were impacted by coronavirus then the 10% early withdrawal penalty may be waived on withdrawals up to $100,000 Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply I have a college-aged son who I claimed on my 2019 taxes. I did not receive the stimulus due to income. If I don’t claim my son on my 2020 taxes, will he be able to get either stimulus 1or2 or both by filing a recovery rebate on his 2020 taxes? Reply Hi Michelle, Generally, if your son plans to file his own tax return for tax year 2020 and is not claimed as a dependent he may qualify and receive the stimulus in the form of a recovery rebate credit. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply Hi! Thank you for the information. My son was a dependent on our 2019 tax return as a senior in college. He did not file a tax return that year. However in May of 2020 he graduated and began working fulltime in June. He is 23 years old and is not a dependent on our 2020 tax return we will file. Does he have any recourse to claim the stimulus checks for 2020? Thank you for any advice. Michelle E Reply Hi Michelle, Generally, if your son plans to file his own tax return for tax year 2020 and is not claimed as a dependent he may qualify and receive the stimulus in the form of a recovery rebate credit. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply Any idea when the 600$ will be sent to turbo tax direct deposit? Reply Hi Antone, If you have your Turbo card, you can use it anywhere Visa debit is accepted in the U.S. You can also withdraw your stimulus money at more than 19,000 fee-free ATMs across all 50 states. We expect stimulus payments will be delivered within a couple of weeks. We’ll update when more information is available. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply I was required to take a 25% pay cut for a couple of months this year and did not have a part-time job, thus reducing my income in 2020. My 2019 tax return does not reflect that loss. So frustrating. I see that there may be a way to retroactively claim the stimulus money. Where can I learn more about that? Reply Hi Allyson, I understand this can feel frustrating but TurboTax is here to help. If you didn’t receive the correct amount of stimulus payment, you can claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes. TurboTax will guide you through this to make sure you get every dollar you deserve. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply Does a baby born in 2020 qualify for a check? Reply Informative article…a 2019 tax return has not been processed by IRS 8 months waiting. After many inquiries, still no information (includes EIC/CTC Form 1040). Can I expect the new stimulus check without delay? Reply Hi Denise, First I would make sure that the IRS received your tax return if you e-filed. If the IRS does not confirm receipt, I would send your return certified return with a signature. Regarding the second stimulus the IRS will go by the latest filing, so your 2018 tax filing information. If you don’t receive the second stimulus you can claim it on your 2020 tax return in the form of a recovery rebate credit. I hope this helps you. Best, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply Newer Comments » Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Tax News TurboTax Launches Stimulus Check Calculator Tax News What Does the Second Coronavirus Relief Bill Mean for the Unemployed? Tax News How to Estimate Your Stimulus Check [Infographic] Tax News Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Everything Taxpayers Need to Know About the New Relief Bill Tax News Your Top Tax Questions About Coronavirus (COVID-19), Answered Tax News What the First Coronavirus Stimulus Package Means for You Tax News Am I Required to File My Taxes to Get a Stimulus Check? Tax News First Coronavirus Relief Update: Executive Orders Signed Offering More Relief Tax News What Coronavirus Relief Means for College Students and Grads Tax News Stimulus Check Phishing Scams: TurboTax Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
Hi Eric! The Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus payments (both the first and second) are an advance rebate and are not considered taxable income. Also, if you receive too little based on your 2020 income you may be able to claim more when you file your 2020 taxes in the form of a recovery rebate credit. If you received too much per the IRS you don’t have to pay it back. TurboTax will guide you through claiming the recovery rebate credit if you are eligible. Hope this helps! Thanks, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Hi. For the 2nd stimulus payment will TurboTax help us claim the full payment in the form of a recovery rebate credit as it does for the first one under the Cares Act. My 2020 AGI is below the threshold requirement due to the pandemic. 2019 was not. Thanks, Kevin Reply
Hi Kevin, If you are eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes TurboTax will guide you through this to make sure you get every dollar you deserve. Hope this helps! Thank you, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Hello, If someone claim their parent, can that parent apply to get a stimulus check? They don’t do taxes because they falls under the taxes of their child’s household. Reply
Hi Jay, If you claim your parent as a dependent, as it pertains to the stimulus payments they do not qualify for an additional payment. The IRS is responsible for determining taxpayer eligibility for receiving a stimulus and, if a taxpayer is eligible, how and when the stimulus payments will be delivered to them. The dependent rules for the stimulus are for dependents under age 17. Besides meeting the income requirements Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you: Were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020 Were not claimed as a dependent Have a social security number valid for employment that is issued before the due date of your 2020 tax return. Hope this helps. Thanks, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Hi Lisa, thank you for the great article, I have a question regarding the tax treatment for the IRA withdrawal during 2020, is there anyway to avoid or reduce penalty if income was not reduced? Reply
Hi Alfred, Under the CARES Act, if you made a coronavirus related withdrawal, meaning you were impacted by coronavirus then the 10% early withdrawal penalty may be waived on withdrawals up to $100,000 Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply
I have a college-aged son who I claimed on my 2019 taxes. I did not receive the stimulus due to income. If I don’t claim my son on my 2020 taxes, will he be able to get either stimulus 1or2 or both by filing a recovery rebate on his 2020 taxes? Reply
Hi Michelle, Generally, if your son plans to file his own tax return for tax year 2020 and is not claimed as a dependent he may qualify and receive the stimulus in the form of a recovery rebate credit. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Hi! Thank you for the information. My son was a dependent on our 2019 tax return as a senior in college. He did not file a tax return that year. However in May of 2020 he graduated and began working fulltime in June. He is 23 years old and is not a dependent on our 2020 tax return we will file. Does he have any recourse to claim the stimulus checks for 2020? Thank you for any advice. Michelle E Reply
Hi Michelle, Generally, if your son plans to file his own tax return for tax year 2020 and is not claimed as a dependent he may qualify and receive the stimulus in the form of a recovery rebate credit. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Hi Antone, If you have your Turbo card, you can use it anywhere Visa debit is accepted in the U.S. You can also withdraw your stimulus money at more than 19,000 fee-free ATMs across all 50 states. We expect stimulus payments will be delivered within a couple of weeks. We’ll update when more information is available. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply
I was required to take a 25% pay cut for a couple of months this year and did not have a part-time job, thus reducing my income in 2020. My 2019 tax return does not reflect that loss. So frustrating. I see that there may be a way to retroactively claim the stimulus money. Where can I learn more about that? Reply
Hi Allyson, I understand this can feel frustrating but TurboTax is here to help. If you didn’t receive the correct amount of stimulus payment, you can claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes. TurboTax will guide you through this to make sure you get every dollar you deserve. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Katharina Reekmans Reply
Informative article…a 2019 tax return has not been processed by IRS 8 months waiting. After many inquiries, still no information (includes EIC/CTC Form 1040). Can I expect the new stimulus check without delay? Reply
Hi Denise, First I would make sure that the IRS received your tax return if you e-filed. If the IRS does not confirm receipt, I would send your return certified return with a signature. Regarding the second stimulus the IRS will go by the latest filing, so your 2018 tax filing information. If you don’t receive the second stimulus you can claim it on your 2020 tax return in the form of a recovery rebate credit. I hope this helps you. Best, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply