Since the U.S. government announced it was rolling out coronavirus stimulus checks to Americans, taxpayers have begun asking a lot of questions and understandably so. Our office has been fielding questions about our clients’ stimulus checks, especially in relation to their children. Is there an age cutoff? How much for each child? Is there a limit for children per household? Will parents with child support arrears receive a stimulus check?
In this article, we address the most common questions from parents about stimulus checks and provide the answers. We hope this article answers your pressing questions!
How much are the checks? The stimulus checks are $1,200 per adult and $2,400 for married couples who filed jointly.
How much do parents get for children? Parents get $500 per child age 16 and under. That is $500 per child, per household.
What if I owe child support? If you owe child support, your stimulus check may be reduced or you may not get any at all if it’s put toward back child support.
What if my spouse owes child support? If your spouse owes child support, not only could their stimulus check go toward child support arrears, but yours could too if you filed joint tax returns. To avoid kissing your check goodbye, you’d have to file an innocent spouse claim.
Will my college student receive their own stimulus check? If you claim him or her as a dependent, they will NOT receive their own stimulus check. On the other hand, if you do not claim your son or daughter as a dependent and they are 18 or older and self-supporting, then yes, they would get their own stimulus check.
What about foster or adopted children? Parents can receive checks for foster and adopted children. However, if you recently adopted a child and they do not have a Social Security Number yet, you’ll need to provide an Adoption Taxpayer ID number.
Is there a limit on the number of children? No, there isn’t. So, even if you have more kids than most people, it won’t matter. You’ll still receive $500 for every child age 16 and younger.