(NEXSTAR) – California has started sending out the Middle Class Tax Refund, a one-time direct payment meant to help ease the pain from rising inflation. The very first payments hit people’s bank accounts on Friday.
Since then, the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) says it has sent out about 700,000 payments, all of which are being sent by direct deposit. (Many Californians will receive their tax refund on a debit card sent by mail, but the first round of payments are being sent by direct deposit.)
This week, the FTB expects another 2.1 million direct deposits to be issued, the agency told Nexstar.
The FTB estimates it will issue 8 million direct deposits by Nov. 14.
The payments, which started last week, are being issued in batches going through Jan. 15, 2023. When you can expect to get your payment depends on a few factors (which we outline here).
Payments can be as small as $200 or as large as $1,050. How much you receive depends on three factors: your income, your tax filing status, and whether or not you have dependents. (You can calculate the size of your check here.)
As the state continues to work its way through issuing millions of direct deposits, it will also start issuing debit cards on Oct. 25.
In the meantime, the FTB asks Californians to exercise patience. “MCTR payments cannot be accelerated by contacting FTB,” the agency recently told Nexstar. “Californians who meet all eligibility criteria do not need to do anything to receive their payments.”