Who’s getting a California stimulus check? Here’s a look at who qualifies in Newsom plan

Andrew Sheeler
·2 min read

Californians could be poised to receive the largest state tax rebate in American history.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a $100 billion “California Comeback Plan” that includes stimulus checks for two-thirds of state residents.

If approved by the Legislature, it would result in checks of $600, $1,100 for families and $1,600 for undocumented immigrant families, going out to millions of Californians.

Newsom is obliged to send the money to taxpayers to comply with a 1979 ballot initiative that seeks to restrict government spending. That law, known as the Gann Limit, has only resulted in taxpayers getting refunds on one previous occasion.

This year, a windfall of tax revenue from high-income earners created conditions for $75 billion state budget surplus, and the checks Newsom wants to distribute.

Here’s a look at who would qualify for the checks in Newsom’s proposal.

Middle income earners

People making between $30,000 and $75,000 a year will qualify for the rebate, according to H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the California Department of Finance.

Palmer said that $75,000 is the hard cap for earners to receive the rebate, whether you are a single filer or married filing jointly.

If a married couple’s joint income is $75,000 or less, they are eligible for the stimulus. If it is more than $75,000, they are not, Palmer said.

Some lower-income households with children

Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a package that sent $600 checks to low-income people making less than $30,000 a year. People who received that check won’t get another $600, but if they have dependent children they could be eligible for an additional $500.

Undocumented immigrants

Unlike the federal stimulus aid, undocumented immigrants and their families will be eligible to receive a state tax rebate. In fact, undocumented immigrants with dependent children will be eligible for $1,000 for family checks, double what other California families will receive, in order to make up for the lack of support at the federal level, according to Finance Director Keely Bosler.