California stimulus check: Next round of payments to go out sooner than expected

LOS ANGELES - The next round of California stimulus payments will begin to be distributed to California residents on Friday, state officials announced Thursday. If you qualify, the California Franchise Tax Board says it will send payments ranging from $500 to $1,100 by either direct deposit or paper check in two-week increments.

The stimulus payments are intended for California families hit hardest by the pandemic.

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Governor Gavin Newsom said that about two-thirds of California residents will be eligible for the $600 payments. Residents with kids will get an additional $500.

This is the second round of the "Golden State Stimulus" payments. If you received money from the first round of the Golden State Stimulus, you won't receive a payment for "Golden State Stimulus II" (GSS II).

To qualify, residents will need to have made a gross income between $0 to $75,000 for the 2020 tax year, have lived in California for more than half of the 2020 tax year, be a California resident on the date payment is issued, and you cannot be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.

State officials anticipate that payments will begin in September 2021.

If you qualify, you only need to file a complete 2020 tax return to receive the GSS II payment. 

To check your status and get an estimate on the amount of stimulus money you qualify for, you can go to www.ftb.ca.gov.

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