Second Stimulus Check Calculator (CASH Act vs. Enacted $600)
The CASH Act proposed $2,000 payments per adult plus $2,000 per dependent of any age, while the Consolidated Appropriations Act that actually became law in December 2020 provided $600 per adult and $600 per child dependent under 17. Both programs phase out at the same income thresholds: $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for head of household, and $150,000 for married filing jointly. Enter your details below to see your estimated payment under each version, with a full breakdown of how the phase-out reduces your amount.
What was the CASH Act and how did it differ from the enacted law?
The Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on December 28, 2020, that would have increased the second stimulus check from $600 to $2,000 per eligible adult, with an additional $2,000 for every dependent of any age. It also proposed expanding eligibility to adult dependents who were excluded from the first CARES Act payment. The Senate did not pass the CASH Act. Instead, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed on December 27, 2020, became law and paid $600 per adult plus $600 per qualifying child dependent under age 17. Both bills used identical income phase-out thresholds: $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for head of household, and $150,000 for married filing jointly.
How the income phase-out works
Both the CASH Act and the enacted law use the same phase-out formula: for every $100 of adjusted gross income above the threshold, the payment falls by $5. This works out to a 5 percent reduction rate. For a single filer with no dependents, the enacted $600 payment reaches zero at $87,000 AGI, while the proposed CASH Act $2,000 payment would have phased out completely at $115,000. For a married couple the enacted $1,200 reaches zero at $174,000, and the proposed $4,000 CASH Act payment would have reached zero at $230,000. The IRS based eligibility on your 2019 tax return, or your 2018 return if 2019 was not yet filed.
Who was eligible and who was excluded?
To receive either payment, you needed a valid Social Security Number. Most non-citizen residents filing with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) were excluded unless they were in a mixed-status household where at least one spouse held an SSN, in which case the SSN-holding spouse could receive a payment. People filing as Married Filing Separately were generally ineligible for both programs. Non-filers receiving Social Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement, or VA benefits automatically received their payment without having to file a return. Adult dependents aged 17 or older, including college students and elderly parents claimed on a family return, received nothing under the enacted law. The CASH Act would have included them at $2,000 each, which was a significant difference for families supporting older dependents.
Claiming a missed payment as the Recovery Rebate Credit
Both the first CARES Act payment and the second $600 payment were advance payments of a 2020 tax credit called the Recovery Rebate Credit. If you were eligible but received less than you should have, or received nothing, you could claim the shortfall as a refundable credit on your 2020 Form 1040 (line 30). This applied if your 2019 income was too high but your 2020 income fell below the threshold, or if a new child was born in 2020 who was not counted when the IRS calculated your advance. The deadline to file a 2020 return and claim this credit was May 17, 2024, for most filers.
Phase-out thresholds and full payment amounts
| Filing status | AGI threshold | CASH Act base | Enacted base | Dep. (CASH Act) | Dep. (enacted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $75,000 | $2,000 | $600 | $2,000 (any age) | $600 (under 17) |
| Head of Household | $112,500 | $2,000 | $600 | $2,000 (any age) | $600 (under 17) |
| Married Filing Jointly | $150,000 | $4,000 | $1,200 | $2,000 (any age) | $600 (under 17) |
| Married Filing Separately | N/A | $0 (ineligible) | $0 (ineligible) | N/A | N/A |
Below the threshold you receive the full amount. Above it, your payment falls by $5 for every $100 of additional AGI.
Frequently asked questions
Did the CASH Act $2,000 checks ever get paid?
No. The House passed the CASH Act on December 28, 2020, but the Senate did not. The payment that was actually sent was $600 per adult plus $600 per qualifying child under 17, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed December 27, 2020. The CASH Act remains a proposed-but-not-enacted piece of legislation.
What income is used to calculate eligibility?
The IRS used Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your most recently filed federal tax return at the time of payment processing, typically your 2019 return. If you had not filed 2019 taxes, your 2018 return was used. Non-filers receiving federal benefit payments like Social Security had their payments issued automatically to the same account on file.
I am married but we file separately. Do we each get a check?
Generally no. Married Filing Separately filers were not eligible for either stimulus payment in most circumstances. The exception was a mixed-status household where one spouse had a valid Social Security Number and the other filed with an ITIN. In that case, only the SSN-holding spouse could receive a payment.
Do dependents aged 17 and over count?
Under the enacted $600 law, only children who were under 17 as of December 31, 2019 counted as qualifying dependents (the same rule as the Child Tax Credit). Adult college students, elderly parents, and disabled adult children claimed as dependents received nothing extra. The CASH Act would have changed this to include all dependents of any age at $2,000 each, but that bill did not pass.
I never received my $600 check. What can I do?
If you were eligible but did not receive the full $600 (or $1,200 for married filers, plus $600 per qualifying child), you could have claimed the difference as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 federal tax return (Form 1040, line 30). The deadline to file a 2020 return for this purpose was May 17, 2024. If that deadline has passed, options are limited and you should consult a tax professional.
Is the stimulus payment considered taxable income?
No. Both the first CARES Act payment and the second $600 payment were structured as advance refundable tax credits, not income. You do not owe federal income tax on the amount received. Receiving a stimulus payment also does not reduce any other deduction, credit, or benefit you are entitled to.