Some 1.87 million Arizonans received stimulus payments from the federal government through April 17, averaging $1,824 per state recipient, the Internal Revenue Service said.

That's part of 88.1 million stimulus or "economic impact" payments disbursed nationally, averaging $1,791, nationally over that initial period.

Payments are continuing. The IRS expects about 150 million payments will be deposited electronically or sent as paper checks to help Americans cope with financial pressures triggered by the new coronavirus outbreak and business-closing mandates to contain it. More than 3 million total payments will be made to Arizonans.

Eligibility guidelines

Basic stimulus amounts are $1,200 per adult, $2,400 for married couples who file taxes jointly and $500 per qualifying child under age 17. Amounts phase out at adjusted gross incomes of $75,000 and above for individuals and $150,000 and up for married couples, declining by $5 in benefits for each $100 in income over those limits.

Taxpayers, as well as millions of Americans who don't file tax returns, are eligible to receive payments. They will be sent automatically tor those who filed a return in 2018 or 2019 or who receive Social Security retirement benefits, survivor or disability (SSDI) benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or a few other types of benefits.

Recipients will receive payments as a direct deposit to their bank accounts or by paper check, depending on how they normally receive those other benefits.

Checking payment status

Some people will need to supply basic personal information to the IRS to receive a payment. One option is through the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" link at irs.gov.

The IRS said it intends to mail a letter to a taxpayer's last known address within 15 days after the payment has been paid. The letter will state how the payment was made and provide instructions on what to do if a payment hasn't been received.

The IRS said it has made recent enhancements to the "Get My Payment" tool at irs.gov that could help people still awaiting a stimulus payment. The changes include the ability to add direct-deposit information easier and provide easier tracking of payments.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.