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The first wave of stimulus checks were sent out to Americans on Saturday, the IRS has confirmed.

“We know many people are anxious to get their payments; we’ll continue issuing them as fast as we can,” the tax service said in a Twitter post.

The first to receive direct deposits are tax payers who have filed tax returns for 2018 or 2019 and authorized direct deposit. Others may have to wait weeks or months to receive disbursement authorized under a $2.2tn stimulus package passed by Congress last month.

Individuals are due up to $1,200 and couples will receive up to $2,400 – plus $500 a child. Tax payers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000 will receive less according to sliding scale, with eligibility capped at $99,000. Qualification thresholds are double for couples.

According to a memo issued by democrats, the IRS anticipates issuing paper checks starting in the first week of May. The checks will be issued at a rate of about five million per week, the memo says. The service has until the end of 2020 to make the transfers.