Second stimulus check timeline: When might the IRS send another payment?

How likely is it that a second stimulus check in the form of a paper check, direct deposit or EIP card might still be sent to eligible Americans by the end of 2020? All eyes are on Capitol Hill for the answer to when Americans could expect another direct payment.

Negotiators have not moved much to reach a deal over the past month, despite bipartisan calls for a compromise on the size and scope of the package. The two camps remain around $1 trillion apart in what they want to spend. Republicans are also working on a much smaller relief bill worth $500 billion that they plan to release next week, after the Senate returns from recess.

“Americans need our help and deserve a bill that meets the needs of the nation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has previously indicated the Internal Revenue Service could begin to issue direct payments within a week of a final package becoming law, but when could that actually happen? Keep reading to map out a possible payment schedule and who might be able to receive it first. We update this story often with new information.

Possible dates the IRS could send a second stimulus check

Any hope of negotiations starting up again are sliding into September; the Senate is adjourned until after Labor Day, which is Sept. 7.

Here are some possible dates that another stimulus bill could pass and the IRS could send the first checks. For reference, we also include the timeline for the now-expired CARES Act. The payments don’t go out to everyone at once, so we’ll go over which groups of people could get their payment first.