Golden State Stimulus check: how many payments are missing?

Golden State Stimulus payments of $600 or $1,200 are currently being sent out in California as part of a $9.6bn coronavirus relief package signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in February.

To get their check, eligible California residents must first submit their 2020 state tax return. The filing deadline is 15 October 2021.

No word from FTB on how many stimulus checks paid out

Governor Newsom has said that the state expects to make a total of 5.7 million payments to low-income Californians, who will get their money either by direct deposit or by receiving a paper check in the mail.

But unlike the Internal Revenue Service, which is offering weekly updates on the number of federal stimulus checks paid out as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has so far not released specific information on how many checks have gone out and how many are still to be paid.

Golden State Stimulus payments going out in groups

However, although no precise figures have yet been made public, the Golden State Stimulus distribution timeline provided by the FTB offers some insight into which qualifying Californians are likely to have received their check.

The agency began making making payments after 15 April, with direct-deposit recipients who filed their taxes between 1 January and 1 March told they would get their check within two weeks of that date. Californians receiving their payment by paper check were told to allow four to six weeks.

Meanwhile, those who submitted their tax returns between 2 March and 23 April were told their Golden State Stimulus payments would start arriving after 1 May - also within either two weeks or four to six weeks of that date, depending on whether their money is being sent by direct deposit or as a paper check.

And the FTB says Californians who file taxes after 23 April can expect their Golden State Stimulus check within 45 days of their return being processed if they are receiving the cash by direct deposit, and within 60 days of their return being processed if they are getting it in paper-check form.

According to the above timeline, therefore, only one group of Golden State Stimulus recipients - people who filed taxes before 1 March and are getting the check by direct deposit - seem certain to have received their payment at this point.

Who is eligible for a Golden State Stimulus payment?

To be eligible for the Golden State Stimulus check, you must be a recipient of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), or be an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) tax filer who earned $75,000 or less in 2020.

Furthermore, you must have lived in California for at least half of the 2020 tax year and be a resident of the state on the date your Golden State Stimulus payment is made.

Stimulus checks live updates

You’ll find updates on the Golden State Stimulus program, as well as information on federal direct payments, in our daily live blog dedicated to stimulus checks.