Who Doesn't Qualify for a Stimulus Check?

Millions of Americans have started to receive their stimulus checks via mail and direct deposit. But while the economic impact payments are unprecedented in scope, there are still some people who, for some reason, don't qualify. If you're wondering where your payment is, it's possible you may not be eligible (although payments are still being disbursed in large numbers, and yours may be on its way). We've broken down for you who is not eligible for a stimulus check below. You can also check how much money you will receive and whether you are eligible for a stimulus check here.

You Won't Receive a Payment if Your Income is Too High

Most Americans will receive some sort of stimulus payment, even if it is not the full $1200, but those whose incomes are above the cutoff will not. The cutoff for individual tax payers is $99,000, and $198,000 for married couples who filed jointly. For a head of household, the cutoff is $136,000.

This calculation is based on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on file with the IRS. This will be calculated on the basis of your most recent tax return, whether that's 2018 or 2019.

The maximum income is calculated assuming that you do not have children. If you do, you could still receive stimulus money. Parents below the income threshold receive an extra $500 for every child under 17, and for parents above the income threshold $5 is deducted from your payment for every $100 you exceed the maximum income. So even if you are unable to receive stimulus money for yourself, you could still collect a payment for your child.

There is no minimum income to receive the stimulus check, and those who are not required to file taxes (like those living on social security) will automatically receive the full amount.

You Won't Receive Stimulus Money if You Are an Adult Listed as a Dependent on Someone's Taxes

Parents of children under 17 receive $500 per child, but for dependents over 17, the IRS won't provide those funds--and the dependent is not eligible for any stimulus money of their own.

This means many college students aren't eligible for stimulus funds. Many are still listed as dependents on their parents' taxes and don't yet have income of their own, but are over the cutoff for their parents to receive a $500 payment for them. Other dependents might include relatives or adult children with disabilities.

Unfortunately, those who are undocumented and do not have a social security number are not eligible for stimulus funds. This does not mean that funds are only open to U.S. citizens--greencard holders (legal permanent residents), and those on working visas are eligible. But those without any legal documentation are not eligible for stimulus funds, even if they pay taxes (which many undocumented immigrants do).

You are also not eligible for stimulus funds if you have an SSN but file jointly with a spouse who is undocumented. If you're married but haven't filed your 2019 return yet, you still have a chance to file separately, so you could still receive the funds. But there are many other tax breaks you would lose out on by filing individually, so it may not be worthwhile financially.

In California, there is a program to provide aid to our undocumented neighbors through a specially created state fund. If you or someone you know is undocumented, please check out our recent post on how to access the money, which will be disbursed in $500 payments.

If you believe you are eligible for a stimulus check but haven't received it, you can check your payment status with the IRS' Get My Payment tool. You can also check self reported data on the progress on how many people have received their stimulus check and who is still waiting with our Stimulus Check Tracker here.