In the next week and a half, Washington will pass several milestones that will affect the current $600 stimulus check and the chances of a third stimulus check for perhaps $2,000. On Jan. 15, the IRS and US Treasury will automatically stop sending payments to bank accounts and mail boxes and then on Jan. 20 President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president and begin work on the a multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package that may include $2,000 payments in a third check.

This week, if you are still waiting for the new relief payment for up to $600 per person you probably have questions about this round of checks and the possibility of a next one: Do you qualify to get a second check, did the IRS send you the right payment amount and what common issues could be holding up your check?

Also, can you track your second stimulus check, what are your rights and what happens if you don’t receive your stimulus payment by the middle of the month? We’ll answer all those questions and more about your stimulus check. This story has been updated with new information.

The IRS has 5 more days to deliver $600 stimulus payments

Second stimulus check payments are going out from the IRS and US Treasury by way of direct deposit, physical checks and EIP cards. Because of a Jan. 15 cutoff that’s part of December’s bill, there are now two phases for stimulus checks going out — before the deadline, and after.

You can use the IRS Get My Payment tracking tool to see the status of your check. The tool can also indicate how you’ll receive your check (by mail or direct deposit) and can show if there’s an issue that could hold up your second stimulus payment delivery (the IRS has already bungled millions of deliveries). You can also try a US Postal Service tool to track your check if it’s coming in the mail.

What happens after the Jan. 15 cutoff?

Language in the stimulus legislation prevents the IRS and US Treasury from sending the second stimulus check after Jan. 15, 2021. The IRS said after that mid January date, eligible individuals who did not receive a payment will have to claim it when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021.

The later you file taxes, the longer it might take to get your second stimulus check.

$2,000 third stimulus check is gaining momentum

Although the last Congress ended without approving $2,000 checks instead of the $600 ones now going out. The next chance will come after Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Biden has just sketched a framework for his administration’s high price stimulus package and has backed a third, $2,000 stimulus check. Who would qualify is unknown, but if all the rules stay the same, we built a calculator to estimate how much you’d get with a $2,000 check.

The $600 stimulus check limit disqualifies more people

The second stimulus check Trump approved Dec. 27 as part of December’s new $900 billion bill reduces the total amount you will get to up to $600 per qualifying adult and $1,200 for married couples filing jointly.

But the fact that the $600 upper cut-off limit is half the first check actually lowers the income ceiling for getting a partial payment and for getting any check at all. That’s because a sliding scale built into the stimulus check formula used by the IRS gives you the full amount up to a certain income limit, and then a partial payment up to a set amount beyond that. After a certain amount, you wouldn’t be eligible for any stimulus money. (We have a stimulus check calculator to estimate your household’s payment this second time around. Here’s what you could get with a third stimulus check.)

In other words, fewer people would be eligible to receive any amount from a $600 maximum stimulus check than they would the $1,200 or $2,000 maximum payment. For example, a single taxpayer would still get the full $600 with an AGI under $75,000, but they would not receive anything above $87,000, down from the $99,000 cap for the first check. See our guide for a breakout of the payments. A $2,000 stimulus check that uses the same formula would make more people eligible for a partial check.

Each kid counts for $100 more than the first stimulus check

The $900 billion set aside for economic stimulus changes the amount of money you’d get for qualified child dependents, a flat rate of $600. This is different from the variable rate set for eligible adults. Compared to the first direct payment, this is an increase from $500 per child dependent 16 years or younger. There is no cap on the number of children 17 and under who would contribute the household’s total.

You can still file a claim for first stimulus check money you didn’t get

The IRS may still owe you money from the first stimulus check payout. It may be that some money was left out for child dependents, or that an interpretation of a rule changed (this really happened). Or it could be that you fell through the cracks with your personal situation, that you didn’t think you qualified but you actually do and just need to take an extra step, or that some other error kept you from getting the total amount you were entitled to. Since the Nov. 21 deadline to file your claim has passed, you’ll now need to wait this year’s tax season to request missing on your tax return.

People who don’t file taxes are eligible for a second stimulus check

While taxes and stimulus checks are tied together, you don’t need to have filed a tax return to qualify for a check. If you’re over age 65, for example, and receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance, you could still qualify for a stimulus check under the CARES Act. You might need to take an extra step to request your payment (you had until Nov. 21 for the first batch) to get your check if you don’t receive it automatically during tax season.

Your stimulus payments are not taxable income

The IRS doesn’t consider stimulus money to be income. That means a payment you get this year won’t reduce your refund in 2021 or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2020 tax return. You also won’t have to repay part of your stimulus check if you qualify for a lower amount this year. The IRS said if you didn’t receive everything you were owed this year, you can claim it as a credit on your 2020 federal income tax return by filing in this year.

Eligibility rules and exceptions vary

Now that a second stimulus check is approved, there will be lots of small details, rules and exceptions that may be confusing. While some situations will be easy to understand, others concerning you and your dependents might make it unclear if you’re eligible and how much money you might receive because fringe cases abound.

For example:

• Older adults and retirees can qualify for a stimulus check, but there are exceptions.
• People who owe child support could have their first stimulus money garnished, but not the second.
• Some parents who share custody of a child dependent could each get more stimulus money.
• You don’t have to be a US citizen living in America to get a check.

Certain issues could delay your check, such as if you recently moved.

Your second stimulus money will not be garnished for debt or rent

In most cases, your check is yours to spend or save how you want and it isn’t taxable. But there were a few situations where the state or federal government or a debt collector can take all or part of your first check to cover a debt, such as if you owe child support. However, with the second check, the money can’t be used to pay past-due federal or state debts, and the payments are protected from bank garnishment and from private creditors or debt collectors.

The calculation starts with your household’s total adjusted gross income, adds on the money allotted to qualifying child dependents and then deducts from the total based on your income bracket.