Got your $1,200 check or deposit, yet.

Ours has not yet arrived.

Our Round #1 check took a while, as initially I didn't have a direct deposit account number on file with them. My normal habit is to send them checks each quarter and at tax filing time, not to get any refund in any normal year. But a little mixup did cause me to get a small refund this year, already received.

Round #2 was very quick, as they had a deposit account number from R#1.

But from various news stories, it seemed that Round #3 payments were going out the fastest yet, thanks to both having had practice from the earlier rounds, and to leftover funding preparations from former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, for far greater relief efforts than his boss actually approved. He left plenty of money "in the bank", ready to go at a moment's notice. Which allowed the new Administration to pay out this Round #3 to 90 million folks almost immediately, and 27 million more as soon as SSA handed over its list.

 

didn't even have to fire up the presses, saving precious electricity

 

The data servers running the banking and payment processing systems consume more than enough electricity to offset the printing press savings.

 

I did...no luck.

 

Still waiting on #2.

 

The rules are pretty clear, over $160,000 adjusted gross income for a joint return on your 2019 return and no payment. File your 2020 return now if its lower and they will send it.

Plus the 2020 return allows you to receive a credit for a first and second you did not get.

Get My Payment | Internal Revenue Service

 

Our 2019 joint AGI was significantly less than that threshold. Hopefully working in that credit on our 2020 return will not be a problem.

 

Yeah..I commented above that I'm not expecting a check. However, someone above also commented that they received a check even though they are a 'top 1 percenter'....which I find hard to believe. Of course, I suppose you could have a lot of investments but low 'income'. I bet that happens more that we might think.

 

Yep.

 

Yeah..the fact they based it solely on 'income' is pretty laughable. But I guess they wanted to rush it out.

 

Also why I think a a wealth tax needs to be initiated. Generational wealth, like generational poverty, is hard to overcome without intervention. Your opinion may vary.

 

i don't see a need to overcome generational wealth, but we certainly don't need any tax breaks or extra checks

 

If you could stretch $1 USD bills end to end from here to Mars, how much "money" would it take?

(Bonus: Could you make a round-trip with the latest stimulus check? If so, how many?)

 

That is a big variable as you likely know-- 34 million miles at its closest and 250 million at its farthest.

 

I'm pretty sure the phrase "if you could" covers that.
One presumes that if you were REALLY fast and could lay ten $1 USD bills end to end in one second, then it would take you well over 31 years to lay a billion of them end to end, and even then you will not have really made a proper beginning to your journey.

Time, Distance, or Dollars.....a billion is a bunch!
The Earth - to Mars analogy is something that's easy to express verbally, but very few people can conceptualize JUST how far apart these two places REALLY ARE.


Space, as author William Bryson might have written....is very aptly named!



.....So this guy is talking to God and ask, "Hey God what does 100 million years seem like to you?"
God answered, " One hundred million years ? That's like a second to me."
Then the man ask, "Hey God, what's 100 million dollars seem like to you?"
One hundred million dollars? It seems like a penny to me."
So the guy says, "Hey God could I borrow a penny?"

And God answers, "Sure..... Just a second."

 

For most people million, billion and trillion are just big unimaginable numbers. Like ETC(SS) mentioned, it can be helpful to think in the length of time.
A million seconds ago was March 20 (11 days ago).
A billion seconds ago was 1990.
A trillion seconds ago was 19,667 BCE (Abraham lived about 2000 BCE)

Does that put a bit of perspective on the current $1.9 trillion dollar stimulus package? You might want to start thanking your grandchildren.

 

Ours arrived today. I'm not sure how it ended up in this bucket, as we are tax filers and not yet taking SSA benefits, though spouse is beyond her SSA NRA (normal retirement age):

IRS: IRS projects stimulus payments to non-filer Social Security and other federal beneficiaries will be disbursed later this week

 

a million isn't what it used to be. a billion is still a stretch

 

got a letter from uncle joe today, another $2,800. heading our way!

i can't wait until they pass the $2,000./month bill, then i can finally retire

u.s. debt:

2008: 10 trillion

2016: 20 trillion

2021: 28 trillion

 

Is that what it said, or was it also counting the first $1400 that came out under Trump?
Already tossed my letter.