California is extending the deadline for distributing the remaining Middle Class Tax Refunds. The inflation relief payments, which were announced last summer and began in October, will be distributed through February.
The Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the state agency in charge of disbursing the funds, initially released a payment schedule that showed the final phase ending on Saturday, Jan. 14. According to the FTB, the "vast majority of recipients" will still receive their payment by then, but people whose addresses have changed since filing their 2020 taxes may receive their debit cards between Jan. 30 and Feb. 14. (Please see the revised payment schedule below.)
Additionally, anyone expecting a direct deposit should check their bank accounts this week. The FTB is releasing yet another large batch of Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) payments to people whose information required "additional review."
“Some folks qualified for a direct deposit payment but were not part of the initial wave, which was wrapped up by Nov. 14 last year,” SoCalTelevision was informed by an FTB spokesperson. “The bulk of all direct deposits were issued by then. However, some payments require additional review and were, or will be, issued later. We anticipate that an additional 460,000 MCTR direct deposit payments will be issued by the end of this week.”
People who have yet to receive a direct deposit may be encouraged by the schedule extension and late batch.
If you haven't received your payment, the first thing you should do is make sure you're eligible for the Middle Class Tax Refund.
Then, confirm your spot on the revised schedule (see below). This will help you determine whether your payment is late or still scheduled to arrive. According to the FTB, direct deposits typically take three to five days to appear, while debit cards can take up to two weeks.
If you believe you should have received your payment by now but haven't, call customer service at 1-800-542-9332. A customer service representative will assist you in determining your eligibility and will explain how and when you will be paid.
Don't be concerned if you haven't been paid by the deadline for your tax situation. "Only a small number of recipients will receive their payments after the dates specified in our payment schedule," the FTB stated.
The agency “is committed to ensuring everyone who qualifies for a MCTR payment receives one.”
The exact number of outstanding payments is unknown, but according to the most recent FTB data, it could be as high as 1.9 million.
Schedule for the Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) has been updated:
Direct deposit payments:
| 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 payments:
| 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) | 12/05/2022 through 12/17/2022 |
| Non-GSS recipients (last name beginning with M – Z) | 12/19/2022 though 12/31/2022 |
| Direct deposit recipients who have changed banking information since filing their 2020 tax return | 12/17/2022 through 01/14/2023 |
| Debit card recipients whose address has changed since filing their 2020 tax return | 01/30/2023 through 02/14/2023 |
Depending on your income, tax filing status, and number of dependents, payments range from $200 to $1,050.
