Estimate the third Economic Impact Payment (stimulus check) based on income and family size.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized the third — and final — round of broad-based COVID-era Economic Impact Payments. EIP3 was bigger, more targeted, and faster than the two prior rounds combined. By May 2021, Treasury had distributed roughly 167 million payments totaling about $390 billion. This calculator is preserved here as a historical reference and as a tool for anyone amending a 2021 return to claim a missed Recovery Rebate Credit.
$1,400 per eligible adult. $1,400 per dependent of any age. Distributed via direct deposit, paper check, or prepaid debit card based on the IRS's most recent return information (2020 if processed, else 2019). Payments began arriving the weekend of March 13, 2021 — two days after enactment — making it the fastest mass tax-credit disbursement in U.S. history.
| Filing status | Full payment AGI | Zero at AGI | Phase-out width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | ≤ $75,000 | $80,000 | $5,000 |
| Head of household | ≤ $112,500 | $120,000 | $7,500 |
| Married filing jointly | ≤ $150,000 | $160,000 | $10,000 |
The phase-out is linear across the window. A family of four (MFJ + 2 dependents) eligible for $5,600 at $150K AGI received $2,800 at $155K and $0 at $160K.
EIP1 (CARES Act) limited the $500 dependent payment to children under 17. EIP2 (December 2020 relief) did the same with $600. EIP3 was the first round to extend the full $1,400 to any dependent — including college students under 24, adult dependents with disabilities, and elderly relatives claimed on the return. A family of four with two college-age kids received $5,600 from EIP3 versus $2,000 from EIP1 or $2,400 from EIP2.
You could have claimed it as the Recovery Rebate Credit on Form 1040 Line 30 for tax year 2021. The credit was reconciled using actual 2021 AGI — so households whose 2021 income dropped versus 2019/2020 could claim a larger payment than the advance they received. If you haven't claimed it, you can file or amend a 2021 return using Form 1040-X. The general three-year refund statute typically expires April 15, 2025 (some categories of taxpayers have longer windows — military serving in combat zones, taxpayers in federally-declared disaster areas, and taxpayers covered by specific IRS-announced extensions).
The advance payment didn't reduce your refund. The Recovery Rebate Credit reconciliation on Line 30 could only increase your refund — never decrease it, even if the IRS overpaid you.
As of early 2026, no broad-based fourth EIP has been enacted. Several targeted state-level relief programs continued through 2023-2024, but no federal repeat of EIP3 has cleared either chamber.
EIP3 was protected from federal offsets (back taxes, federal student loans), but private creditor garnishment was permitted in some states. Several states passed emergency legislation blocking private garnishment of stimulus.
The IRS issued the advance based on the most recent return on file. The Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2021 return used 2021 actuals — meaning if your 2021 AGI was lower (you became newly eligible or got a larger payment), you got the difference as a refund on your 2021 return.
Yes — but only if they were resident aliens with a valid Social Security Number. Non-resident aliens were excluded. Mixed-status households fared better under EIP3 than under EIP1, where the original CARES Act excluded entire families if one spouse used an ITIN.
Historical reference only; not tax advice. Reviewed by Rachel Okonkwo, CFP®, on March 1, 2026.