Stimulus checks should start going out this week but timing could slide, administration official says
“The timing could be more challenging this time, but the IRS could likely begin to get the money out in January,” said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
Trump signaled in a statement Sunday night that he had signed the bill only after securing a commitment for the Senate to consider legislation to increase the stimulus checks to $2,000. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, however, did not reference that commitment in his own statement Sunday night praising the President for signing the relief bill.
That vote will require a two-thirds majority to pass since it is taking place under a suspension of the rules, a threshold that means it would need a wide margin of bipartisan support to be approved.
As with that first round, the new payments will start phasing out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000, and those making more than $99,000 won’t receive anything. The income thresholds would be doubled for couples.
The new round of checks is also expected to put considerable pressure on the IRS during a time when the agency is preparing for the upcoming tax filing season and more staff may be on leave than usual due to the holidays.
