US Treasury Refund Check
Thomas Winz
Millions of Americans have received their federal stimulus checks in the past four weeks.
The IRS has updated its data on just how much emergency relief has been sent. And it shows which states received the most money.
Congress gave the green light through the Cares Act for the government to send stimulus payments of up to $1,200 per individual or $2,400 per married couple, plus $500 for children under 17.
Those payments are targeted at low- to middle-income workers. That includes individuals making up to $75,000 or married couples who file jointly earning up to $150,000.
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For income above those income levels, the amount of the checks is reduced and ultimately phases out completely at $99,000 for individuals and $198,000 for couples filing jointly.
More than $200 billion has been sent to roughly 130 million American so far, the IRS said on Friday.
And the government is not finished. More than 150 million checks are expected to be distributed.
“The vast majority of payments have been delivered in record time, and millions more are on the way every week,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.
The chart below shows how the economic impact payments have been distributed by state, according to the latest IRS data.
The map below tells a different story of where Americans are receiving the highest payments per person based on both IRS and U.S. Census data. The per capita (per person) amounts are lower due to the fact that individuals who do not qualify for stimulus checks are included.
The IRS is encouraging those still waiting for their money to submit their direct deposit information for a faster payment. But you have to hurry – the deadline to get that information into the IRS is this Wednesday, May 13. After that, you will have to wait for a check in the mail.