What was included in the third stimulus package?

The third stimulus package, officially known as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, was a $1.9 trillion economic relief bill signed into law on March 11, 2021.

Key Components of the Package

• Direct Stimulus Payments: Provided $1,400 per eligible individual (or $2,800 for married couples filing jointly) plus $1,400 for each dependent (including adult dependents and college students). Full payments went to individuals earning up to $75,000 and joint filers earning up to $150,000, with phase-outs ending at $80,000 and $160,000, respectively.
• Unemployment Benefits: Extended $300-per-week federal supplemental unemployment benefits through early September 2021 and made the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits tax-free for households with incomes under $150,000.
• Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC): Increased the maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $3,600 per child under age 6 and to $3,000 per child ages 6 through 17, and made it fully refundable.
• State and Local Government Aid: Allocated $350 billion in relief funds for state, local, and Tribal governments.
• K-12 Schools and Higher Education: Provided roughly $130 billion to help K-12 schools safely reopen and support students.
• Vaccines and Healthcare: Dedicated about $14 billion for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and testing, expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies, and incentivized Medicaid expansion.
• Small Business Relief: Directed $50 billion toward small businesses (including through the Paycheck Protection Program) and $25 billion specifically for restaurants and bars.
• Rental and Housing Assistance: Included over $20 billion for emergency rental and homeowner assistance, plus funding to combat homelessness.

The third stimulus check was worth up to $1,400 per eligible individual, or $2,800 for married couples filing jointly, plus an additional $1,400 for each qualifying dependent of any age.

Key Details

• Maximum amounts: A family of four (such as a married couple with two children or other dependents) could receive up to $5,600.
• Dependents: Unlike the first two rounds, the third payment included $1,400 for all dependents claimed on a tax return, including college students and older adult dependents rather than just children under 17.
• Income limits: Full payments went to individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $75,000, heads of household up to $112,500, and married couples filing jointly up to $150,000.
• Phase-out limits: Payments phased out completely for single filers earning $80,000 or more, heads of household earning $120,000 or more, and joint filers earning $160,000 or more.

You can review official details or check eligibility rules through the IRS Recovery Rebate Credit webpage.

You can no longer claim or receive the third stimulus payment because the deadline to file a 2021 tax return to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit was April 15, 2025.

Current Status of Third Stimulus Checks

• Deadlines Passed: The legal window and three-year refund statute to file or amend a 2021 tax return to get the third economic impact payment have officially expired.
• No Further Claims: The Internal Revenue Service has closed the distribution for all first, second, and third stimulus payments, and the "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active.
• Unclaimed Funds: Any unclaimed or unissued funds from these rounds have expired, meaning unreceived funds can no longer be recovered.

The United States federal government issued three major rounds of Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus an earlier set of stimulus payments during the 2008 financial crisis.

COVID-19 Pandemic Stimulus Checks (2020–2021)

• First Round (2020): Authorized under the CARES Act, providing up to $1,200 per individual ($2,400 for joint filers) plus $500 per qualifying child for eligible households.
• Second Round (Dec 2020/Jan 2021): Authorized under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, providing up to $600 per eligible adult and $600 per dependent child.
• Third Round (2021): Authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act, providing up to $1,400 per individual ($2,800 for joint filers) plus $1,400 per dependent.

Earlier Federal Stimulus Payments

• Economic Stimulus Act of 2008: Passed during the 2008 financial crisis, providing tax credit payments of up to $600 for individuals ($1,200 for joint returns) plus $300 per qualifying child.

Note: The IRS Economic Impact Payments page confirms that all official federal COVID-19 stimulus rounds have concluded, and no new broad federal stimulus checks are currently active or being issued.

During his first term as president, Donald Trump signed legislation that authorized two rounds of federal COVID-19 stimulus checks.

The Two Rounds of Stimulus Checks

• First Round ($1,200): Authorized under the CARES Act in March 2020, this provided up to $1,200 per eligible adult and $500 per qualifying child.
• Second Round ($600): Authorized in December 2020 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, this provided up to $600 per eligible adult and dependent child.

(Note: A third round of stimulus checks—for $1,400—was signed into law in March 2021 by President Joe Biden under the American Rescue Plan, not President Trump.)