By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

ALABAMA — According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, as many as eighty million Americans are expected to receive their stimulus checks this week. 

Those receiving the initial payments will be citizens who have already filed their 2018 or 2019 tax returns and authorized a direct deposit if a refund was due. Within that group of people, those with the lowest income will receive their checks first. Social security recipients will also receive an automatic payment, even without filing their tax returns. 

The stimulus, which was part of an economic rescue package passed in Congress last month, provides up to $1,200 for individuals earning upwards of $75,000 per year and as much as $2,400 for married couples who file jointly and earn less than $150,000 per year. For every $100 earned over those totals, the recipient’s stimulus will be lowered by five dollars. Single filers who earn more than $99,000 per year and joint filers earning more than $198,000 per year are not eligible for the stimulus. $500 will also be provided for each qualifying child. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has now set up a “Get My Payment” tool on their website to track your payment. At the time of press, the website was active.