$600 second Golden State Stimulus check in California: site and how to apply
The state legislature has recently approved a huge spending package aimed at boosting the Californian economy, with stimulus checks to be sent to two-thirds of residents.
After months of delays, Gov. Gavin Newsom finally signed the California Comeback Plan into law on 13 July, triggering another round of stimulus checks for millions of residents.
No registration or application is required to receive the payments, although you will need to make sure that you have filed a tax return for 2020. The California Franchise Tax Board (CFTB) will use the information submitted in you most recent tax filing to judge eligibility for the direct payments.
The California Comeback Plan expands on the round of Golden State Stimulus checks that were distributed early this year, meaning that two-thirds of Californians are now eligible. How much could you be entitled to?
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Who qualifies for the Golden State Stimulus checks?
The first round of California state stimulus checks, passed in the spring, provided a direct payment which aimed to “support low-income Californians”. To be eligible for the support you must have filed your 2020 taxes; be either a CalEITC recipients or be an ITIN filer who made no more than $75,000 last year; and you cannot be claimed as a dependent on anyone else’s tax return.
Finally, recipients must be a California resident on the date that the payment is to be issued and must have lived in the state for more than half of the 2020 tax year.
The recently-approved California Comeback Plan expanded those eligibility requirements to include far more people, on the back of the state’s substantial budget surplus from 2020. To qualify for this you simply have to have filed your taxes for 2020 and have a California Adjusted Gross Income of between $1 and $75,000; and an annual wage of no more than $75,000.
As with the first round of payments, you must also be a California resident who is not claimed as a tax dependent on anyone else’s filing.
How much will I get from the Golden State Stimulus check?
Those eligible for the initial Golden State Stimulus check payments will have been entitled to a payment of $600, with another $600 if they file their tax return using an ITIN, most of which will have already been sent out.
The second Golden State Stimulus package provides an extra $500 for those who received a payment from the first round, and who also claim at least one tax dependent. If you did not qualify for the first round, you will receive a stimulus check worth $600, with another $500 if you claim a tax dependent.
The various eligibility requirements can be a bit confusing, so the CFTB have helpfully introduced a Golden State Stimulus II Amount online tool so potential recipients can easily calculate how much they will receive.