Where is my Golden State stimulus? How to check & track

The Franchise Tax Board in California is distributing stimulus checks to the value of $600 or $1,200 to eligible residents of the state. Find out what you need to know.

Update: May 10th, 2021 08:41 EDT

As part of a $9.6bn coronavirus relief package passed in California in February, the state’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) is sending out one-time Golden State stimulus checks to the value of $600 or $1,200 to qualifying Californians.

Note that this latest aid measure comes on top of the federal stimulus checks of up to $1,400 being distributed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Stimulus checks news:

Golden State stimulus payments: who qualifies and how to claim

To get your Golden State Stimulus payment, you need to submit your 2020 state tax return. If you qualify, the FTB will send out your check after processing your return.

To be eligible for the payment, 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.

Find out more about who qualifies for the CalEITC

CA moms deserve more support. Whether it’s as caregivers or breadwinners.

We’re expanding childcare supports across the state and adding 100,000 child care slots — the largest expansion of its kind — and investing millions more for child care providers. pic.twitter.com/SHH5kl31v0
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 9, 2021

Golden State stimulus payment: how much will you get?

$600 Golden State Stimulus check

According to the FTB, you will get a $600 one-time payment if:

- you receive the CalEITC
- you do not receive the CalEITC but are an ITIN filer who earned $75,000 or less in 2020
- you filed a joint tax return, you or your spouse is an ITIN filer and you earned $75,000 or less in 2020

$1,200 Golden State Stimulus check

According to the FTB, you will get a $1,200 one-time payment if:

- you receive the CalEITC, are an ITIN filer and earned $75,000 or less in 2020

- you filed a joint tax return, you receive the CalEITC, you or your spouse is an ITIN filer and you earned $75,000 or less in 2020

Through the Golden State Stimulus, we are already sending $1.6 billion to 2.5 million Californians who need it the most - and we’re just getting started. These $600 payments have put money back in the pockets of California’s families - helping them make ends meet. pic.twitter.com/X3j4nXo9Fa
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) May 6, 2021

When to expect your Golden State Stimulus payment

According to the FTB, these are the time periods in which you should expect to receive your Golden State Stimulus payment, depending on when you filed your tax return:

1. If you filed taxes between 1 Jan and 1 Mar

If you filed your taxes between 1 January and 1 March, your stimulus check will arrive after 15 April: within two weeks of that date for direct-deposit recipients and within four to six weeks for paper check recipients.

2. If you filed taxes between 2 Mar and 23 Apr

If you filed your tax return between 2 March and 23 April, your stimulus check will arrive after 1 May: within two weeks of that date for direct-deposit recipients and within four to six weeks for paper check recipients.

3. If you file taxes after 23 Apr

If you file after 23 April, direct-deposit recipients will get their check within 45 days of their return being processed and paper-check recipients will be paid theirs within 60 days of their return being processed.

The FTB has a useful ‘wait time dashboard’ letting California taxpayers know how long it will take for their tax return to be processed after filing.

US stimulus checks: live updates

You’ll find updates on the Golden State Stimulus payments, as well as information on the third round of federal stimulus checks and news on a potential fourth round, in our dedicated daily live blog.