California Relief Checks: Which groups haven’t received their payment yet? How much is left?
The California Franchise Tax Board has more than $9 billion in inflation support to distribute to residents and the payments will be stopping shortly.
The California Franchise Tax Board (CFTB) has sent payments for the Middle Class Tax Refund to over 17 million Californians. The inflation relief support, which range from $200 to $1,050, has been sent as either direct deposit or debit card.
While most of those receiving the support should have seen the money deposited in their bank account by 14 November, the mailing of debit cards follows a separate schedule. Debit cards are sent to those for whom the CFTB does not have a bank account on file.
By the end of 2022 more than $8.3 billion had been distributed as part of the program, and the CFTB is preparing to send out the remainder of the total $9.5 billion this month. The last of the debit cards will be sent out no later than Saturday, 14 January, the CFTB has confirmed. They advise that it could take up to two weeks from the date of sending for it to arrive with the recipient.
This means that the final payments as part of the California Middle Class Tax Refund should arrive via mailed debit card by the end of January 2023.
Full payment schedule for inflation debit cards
Those that received a Golden State Stimulus payment (GSS I or II) were supposed to see their payment issued between 7 October and 25 October 2022. The CFTB planned to issue payments to non-GSS recipients from 28 October through 14 November 2022.
The California tax authority advises that “direct deposits typically occur within 3-5 business days from the issue date but may vary by financial institution.”
Residents who filed a paper 2020 tax return will be sent a debit card along with others. In general, Californians who e-filed their 2020 tax return and get their tax refund via direct deposit would see the California inflation relief payment put straight into their bank account. Around 95% of payments to the roughly 23 million eligible Californians have now been made.
Here’s the full payment schedule for debit card payments...
| Recipients | Debit card mailing timeframe |
|---|---|
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with A – E) | 10/24/2022 through 11/05/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with F – M) | 11/06/2022 through 11/19/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with N – V) | 11/20/2022 through 12/03/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with W – Z) | 12/04/2022 through 12/10/2022 |
| Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with A – L) | 12/05/2022 through 12/17/2022 |
| Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with M – Z) | 12/19/2021 through 12/31/2022 |
| Direct deposit recipients who have changed their banking information since filing their 2020 tax return | 12/17/2022 through 01/14/2023 |
Who was eligible for the Middle Class Tax Refund?
The Middle Class Tax Refund will benefit around 23 million California taxpayers, with the amount that each taxpayer gets determined by income and whether they have a dependent.
Under the tax rebate plan, Californians earning up to $75,000 for individuals or $150,000 for joint filers would receive $350 per taxpayer, plus an additional $350 if they have at least one dependent. A single parent would therefore receive $700 and two-parent families would receive $1,050.
The amount would decrease to $250 per taxpayer for households making up to $125,000 for individuals or $250,000 for joint filers, and to $200 per taxpayer for households making up to $250,000 for individuals or $500,000 for joint filers. In both of these tiers, parents would receive an additional $250 or $200, respectively, if they have at least one dependent.
People making more than $250,000 or $500,000 for joint filers will not receive a rebate.