Here's What You Need to Remember: Be aware that these checks might never reach some eligible Americans because they could be seized by the government for overdue federal and state taxes, child support, or student loans. Others waiting to pounce are third-party creditors who could garnish the funds for unpaid private debts, such as overdue medical bills and credit card debts.

With nearly 90 percent of all coronavirus stimulus checks for the current third round under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan already disbursed to struggling Americans, much of the nation’s collective attention has now shifted to the expanded child tax credit and tax refunds from 2020 unemployment benefits.

While the Internal Revenue Service has already confirmed that the child tax credit will start landing in eligible bank accounts on July 15, the exact timeline of the unemployment tax refunds appears to be still up in the air.

The agency did say that the refunds already began rolling out last month but there have been dozens of reports indicating that millions are still waiting for the potentially sizeable payments to arrive.

Adding to the confusion is that the IRS has provided few updates on the matter and has asked the public to stay patient as the payments will be sent out at some point over the coming summer months. Some have even launched Twitter and other social media pages to keep tabs on the agency regarding when eligible taxpayers can expect to get their hands on the money.

According to the IRS, roughly ten million Americans likely overpaid on their unemployment taxes last year and could be in line for the refunds. And a recent Treasury report seems to support those claims, as more than seven million tax returns already processed by the agency qualify for the tax refunds.

“Of the 7.4 million tax returns, nearly 7.3 million—or 98.6 percent—had modified adjusted gross income of less than $150,000 and would likely qualify for the exclusion,” the report wrote.

Also, know that there is little to worry about for those who have already filed their taxes, as the IRS has confirmed that it will automatically adjust tax returns if individuals qualify for the unemployment refund.

“Because the change occurred after some people filed their taxes, the IRS will take steps in the spring and summer to make the appropriate change to their return, which may result in a refund,” the IRS said.

As for how much cash one can expect to receive, current refund estimates are suggesting that for single taxpayers who are eligible for the $10,200 tax break and fit into the 22 percent tax bracket, they could potentially net more than $2,200, a figure that would double for eligible married couples.

However, be aware that these checks might never reach some eligible Americans because they could be seized by the government for overdue federal and state taxes, child support, or student loans. Others waiting to pounce are third-party creditors who could garnish the funds for unpaid private debts, such as overdue medical bills and credit card debts.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn. This article first appeared earlier this year.

Image: Reuters.