I was surprised at the amount I got so I did some searching. Evidently, the more you need it, the less you get. I am still thankful for the small amount I got, which is more than I had in the bank a few days ago. kmas
Q. I received my stimulus payment, but it was less than what my friends and neighbors received. Why?
A. Your economic stimulus payment will be based on information provided on your 2007 income tax return.
Many, but not all, taxpayers qualify for the maximum basic payment of $600 for singles or $1,200 for married couples. Many parents are also receiving an additional $300 for each qualifying child, born after Dec. 31, 1990.
Your payment may be less than the maximum for one or more of the following reasons:
- You are single and your net income tax liability is less than $600. If you file Form 1040 net income tax liability is the amount shown on Line 57, plus the amount on Line 52.
- You are married and your net income tax liability is less than $1,200.
- You are single and your adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $75,000. On Form 1040, AGI is the amount on Line 37.
- You are married filing a joint return and your AGI is more than $150,000.
- You owe back taxes.
- You have non-tax federal debts such as unpaid student loans or child-support obligations.
Around the same time you receive your payment, you will receive a notice from the IRS explaining how your payment was figured. It is important to keep this notice as a record of your economic stimulus payment. In addition, you’ll get a separate notice if you owe back taxes or non-tax debts.
Q. The notice I received shows that I should have gotten more than the government actually deposited into my bank account. Did something go wrong?
A. It could be that the amount deposited into your bank account was what remained of your stimulus payment after it was offset for money you owed on back taxes or other debts such as a student loan or child support. If this is the case, you’ll receive an additional notice, providing details on the offset.
Basic Amount of Payment: If you had a net income tax liability for 2007, you will generally receive a payment, unless you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return, had higher income or do not have a valid Social Security number.
Your net income tax liability is one of the following:
- On Form 1040, the amount shown on Line 57 plus the amount on Line 52;
- On Form 1040A, the amount shown on Line 35 plus the amount on Line 32; or
- On Form 1040EZ, the amount on Line 10.
NOTE: Don’t be confused. Net income tax liability is not the same as the amount of tax withheld from your pay, the amount of your refund or the balance due on your return.
Your stimulus payment is equal to your net income tax liability, but no more than $600, if you are single, or $1,200, if you are married filing a joint return.
If you had no net income tax liability for 2007, you are usually getting a minimum payment of $300, if you are single, or $600, if you are married filing jointly, as long as you had qualifying income of at least $3,000 in 2007.