CARES Act Stimulus Payment Calculator
Estimate the first-round 2020 Economic Impact Payment under the original CARES Act rules.
Workbook ready for the demonstration example.
Your 2019 filing details
Estimated payment
Estimated first-round payment
$2,900.00
Partial payment after the 5% AGI phaseout.
Maximum before phaseout
$3,400.00
Phaseout reduction
$500.00
AGI over threshold
$10,000.00
Phaseout threshold
$150,000.00
Calculation breakdown
| Component | Rule | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adult base payment | 2 eligible adults × $1,200 | $2,400.00 |
| Qualifying-child amount | 2 children × $500 | $1,000.00 |
| AGI phaseout | 5% × $10,000 excess AGI | – $500.00 |
| Estimated payment | Maximum less phaseout | $2,900.00 |
How to use the CARES Act stimulus payment calculator
What this calculator does
This calculator estimates the first Economic Impact Payment authorized in March 2020 under the original CARES Act formula. It combines the adult base payment, the amount for qualifying children under age 17, and the 5% reduction applied to adjusted gross income above the filing-status threshold. It is a historical planning and verification tool, not a current benefit application, tax-return preparation service, or final eligibility determination. The IRS describes the first-round payment as up to $1,200 for an eligible individual, $2,400 for a married couple filing jointly, plus $500 for each qualifying child; see the IRS explanation of first-round Economic Impact Payments.
When to use it
Use the calculator to reconstruct an expected 2020 payment from a 2019 AGI, check why a payment was reduced, compare filing-status thresholds, or document a historical estimate for household records. It can also help explain the worked examples found in policy reports. It should not be used to estimate the second or third stimulus payments, the 2020 or 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, or any present-day tax refund.
How to calculate
- The calculator opens with a complete demonstration: a joint return, two qualifying children, and $160,000 of AGI. The results and a validated example Excel workbook are available immediately.
- Choose whether a 2019 return was filed. Then choose the filing status used for that return.
- Enter the number of qualifying children under age 17 as a whole number and enter 2019 AGI in U.S. dollar format, such as 160000 or 160,000.
- Read the estimated payment, maximum before phaseout, phaseout reduction, excess AGI, and the itemized calculation table. Results update live.
- Select Download Excel to create a current-state workbook. Select Reset to clear the demonstration and all calculated content; export is then disabled until a complete valid state is entered again.
Input guide
Have you filed a 2019 tax return? is required and accepts Yes or No. In this simplified model, No produces a $0 estimate because the reference workflow hinges on a filed return; historical exceptions such as some Social Security recipients are outside this calculator's scope. Filing status is required and accepts Single or married filing separately, Married filing jointly, or Head of household. It controls both the adult base amount and the phaseout threshold: $75,000, $150,000, or $112,500 respectively. Choosing joint filing doubles the adult base to $2,400. Qualifying children under age 17 is a required whole number from 0 to 50; for example, 2 adds $1,000 before phaseout. Do not enter adult dependents or fractional values. 2019 adjusted gross income (AGI) is required, must be between $0 and $10,000,000, and uses a period for decimals and optional commas for thousands. Higher AGI has no effect until it exceeds the filing-status threshold, after which each additional dollar reduces the payment by five cents until the estimate reaches zero.
Output guide
Estimated first-round payment is the model's final dollar estimate, floored at zero. Maximum before phaseout is the adult base plus $500 per qualifying child. Phaseout reduction is 5% of AGI above the threshold, capped at the maximum payment. AGI over threshold shows the portion of income exposed to the reduction. Phaseout threshold is the filing-status starting point for that reduction. The summary pills repeat the selected filing status, threshold, and filed-return state. In the calculation table, Adult base payment, Qualifying-child amount, AGI phaseout, and Estimated payment use the same canonical values as the headline results and Excel workbook. A zero result can mean the return status is No or that the calculated phaseout fully absorbs the maximum payment.
Worked example
The opening example uses Married filing jointly, 2 qualifying children, and $160,000 AGI. The maximum is $2,400 for two adults plus $1,000 for the children, or $3,400. The joint threshold is $150,000, so excess AGI is $10,000. The phaseout is 5% × $10,000 = $500. The displayed estimate is therefore $3,400 – $500 = $2,900.00. This matches the opening controls, result cards, table, live summary, and workbook checkpoints.
How the historical phaseout works
The reduction is continuous rather than a cliff: payment falls by $5 for each $100 of AGI above the applicable threshold, which is equivalent to 5%. With no qualifying children, the payment reaches zero at $99,000 for a single filer, $136,500 for a head-of-household filer, and $198,000 for a joint filer. Additional qualifying children raise the starting maximum and therefore extend the income level at which the payment is fully phased out. The U.S. Government Accountability Office summarizes the original thresholds and exclusions in its review of CARES Act Economic Impact Payment eligibility.
Important scope and recordkeeping notes
The first payment was an advance of a refundable 2020 tax credit, not ordinary taxable income. Later legislation created different payment amounts, dependent rules, and phaseout structures, so mixing rounds produces incorrect results. IRS statistical documentation distinguishes the first, second, and third rounds and their authorizing laws; consult the IRS overview of CARES Act and Economic Impact Payment statistics. For questions about a missing or reduced historical payment, the Taxpayer Advocate Service's individual COVID-19 tax relief guidance explains the relationship between payments and Recovery Rebate Credits. Keep the exported workbook with the tax year, filing status, AGI source, and dependent records used for the estimate.