(NEXSTAR) – As California continues to send out the Middle Class Tax Refund straight into residents’ bank accounts, the state is also formulating a more detailed plan on when it will send out the next batches of payments.
The state is currently in the first phase of sending out the tax refund (also called “inflation relief” payments by legislators). The next group will start receiving payments on Monday, Oct. 24.
As the state continues to send out the direct payments, is there a way to track the progress of your check?
The short answer is no, the Franchise Tax Board says. But to combat frustration with the vague timelines originally laid out, the agency has released more details on when you can expect to receive your direct deposit or debit card.
To find out when you’ll see your tax refund, you first need to determine if you’re getting a direct deposit or a debit card. If you filed your California state taxes electronically in 2020 and received a refund by direct deposit, you’ll likely get a direct deposit in this case, too. Pretty much everyone else will get a debit card, the state says.
Second, you’ll need to determine if you received a Golden State Stimulus payment last year, in either round 1 or round 2. Golden State Stimulus (GSS) recipients of 2021 are first in line to get the Middle Class Tax Refund in 2022.
There’s one final complication: Debit cards are being sent out in smaller batches, organized in alphabetical order by last name. GSS recipients are first up, broken into four groups getting their debit cards in the mail between Oct. 24 and Dec. 10.
The remaining eligible recipients will be paid between December 2022 and January 2023. The Franchise Tax Board is expected to announce more precise dates next month.
Based on all the criteria above, here’s what we know about when you can expect your inflation relief check:
Direct deposit inflation relief payment:
| Recipients | Payment issue date |
|---|---|
| GSS I or II direct deposit recipients | 10/07/22 through 10/25/22 |
| Non-GSS recipients who meet direct deposit requirements | 10/28/22 through 11/14/2022 |
Debit card inflation relief payment:
| Recipients | Debit card mailing timeframe |
|---|---|
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with A – E) | 10/24/2022 through 11/05/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with F – M) | 11/06/2022 through 11/19/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with N – V) | 11/20/2022 through 12/03/2022 |
| GSS I or II check recipients (last name beginning with W – Z) | 12/04/2022 through 12/10/2022 |
| Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with A – L) | Will be announced after 11/07/2022 |
| Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with M – Z) | Will be announced after 11/21/2022 |
| Direct deposit recipients who have changed banking information since filing their 2020 tax return | 12/17/2022 through 01/14/2023 |
The payments range in size from $200 to $1,050. How much you get depends on your 2020 income, filing status and number of dependents.
The Franchise Tax Board expects to have issued about 8 million direct deposits and 10 million debit cards by early next year.