There's a new stimulus check proposal on the table. This one is coming from four Republican senators: Sens. Cassidy (La.), Daines (Mont.), Romney (Utah), and Rubio (Fla.). They want the next stimulus check payments to focus on families, because other federal relief measures, such as enhanced unemployment benefits, are not adjusted for family size. So, their plan is to send a $1,000 stimulus payment to all American citizens equally, regardless of age or dependent status. That means money will be available for families with adult dependents, including those with disabilities or college students.
Like the first-round payments under the CARES Act, the proposed second-round stimulus checks would be reduced for people with a higher income. If you're single, married but filing a separate tax return, or a qualifying widow(er), the phase-out would kick in if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is above $75,000. If you're a head-of-household filer, the AGI threshold would be $112,500. If you're married filing a joint tax return, it would be $150,000.
The senators' stimulus check proposal is structured like the CARES Act plan in other ways, too. For instance, nonresident aliens would not get a check. Anyone who could be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return would not get one, either (although the person who claims them as a dependent would get an extra $1,000). You would also have to have a Social Security number to receive a payment.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
To illustrate the focus on families, the senators note that a mom and dad with two dependent children would get $4,000 under their plan (assuming there was no phase-out). Under the CARES Act, that same family only got $3,400. A single parent with two children would get $3,000 under the senators' plan, while that family only got $2,200 under the CARES Act. And so on, and so on.
-
Stocks Bounce But End With Big Weekly Losses: Stock Market TodayThe stock market rout continued on Friday, but a late-day burst of buying power brought the main indexes off their session lows.
-
More Than 1 Million Toyota, Lexus and Subaru Vehicles Recalled for Camera Issue. Is Your Vehicle Affected?A software glitch in the Panoramic View Monitor system causes blank or frozen rear-camera images, triggering a massive recall of 2022-26 models.
-
Ten Retirement Tax Plan Moves to Make Before December 31Retirement Taxes Proactively reviewing your health coverage, RMDs, and IRAs can lower retirement taxes in 2025 and 2026. Here’s how.
-
When to Hire a Tax Pro: The Age Most Americans Switch to a CPATax Tips Taxpayers may outsource their financial stress by a specific age. Find out when you should hire a tax preparer.
-
The Original Property Tax Hack: Avoiding The ‘Window Tax’Property Taxes Here’s how homeowners can challenge their home assessment and potentially reduce their property taxes — with a little lesson from history.
-
Social Security Tax Limit Rises Again: Who Pays More in 2026?Payroll Taxes The Social Security Administration has announced significant changes affecting millions as we approach a new year.
-
Three Critical Tax Changes Could Boost Your Paycheck in 2026Tax Tips The IRS predicts these tax breaks may change take-home pay in 2026. Will you get over $1,000 in tax savings?
-
The Rubber Duck Rule of Retirement Tax PlanningRetirement Taxes How can you identify gaps and hidden assumptions in your tax plan for retirement? The solution may be stranger than you think.
-
RMDs, Roth, and SS: Test Your Knowledge of Retirement Tax RulesQuiz Don't let the IRS catch you off guard. Take our quiz to reveal common retirement tax rules that could save (or cost) you thousands.
-
IRS Updates 2026 Tax Deduction for People Age 65 and OlderTax Changes Adjustments to the extra standard deduction can impact the tax bills of millions of older adults. Here are some new amounts to know for 2026.
