California Stimulus Check Calculator — MCTR Payment Estimator
The California Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) was a one-time payment issued from October 2022 through January 2023. Enter your 2020 California adjusted gross income, filing status and dependent information to see the payment you were eligible for.
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2020 filing status
Did you claim a dependent on your 2020 return?
One-time Middle Class Tax Refund (2022–2023). You must have filed a 2020 CA return by 15 Oct 2021.
How does this calculator work?
The 2022 California MCTR paid $200–$700 base (plus up to $350 for dependents) to households that filed a 2020 CA return by Oct 15, 2021. Single/HOH/MFS income limit was $250,000; joint filers $500,000. Enter your 2020 CA AGI, filing status and dependent status to see your amount.
Formula
How this is calculated
The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) issued the Middle Class Tax Refund to residents who filed a 2020 California tax return by October 15, 2021, and who met the income thresholds. Payment amounts were determined entirely by your 2020 California adjusted gross income (AGI, from FTB Form 540 line 17) and filing status — not by 2021 or later income. The program used two-tier income brackets and a separate supplement for households that claimed at least one dependent.
For single, head of household, and married-filing-separately filers the base payment ranged from $200 to $350 depending on AGI. Married filing jointly (or registered domestic partnership) filers received higher base amounts — $400 to $700. Households with a dependent received an additional $200–$350 on top of the base. Households over the income cap ($250,000 for single filers; $500,000 for joint filers) received nothing.
This is a historical closed program — payments were delivered by direct deposit or debit card and are no longer being issued. The calculator uses the official FTB MCTR payment schedule. MCTR payments are not taxable for California income tax but may be taxable federally (the IRS later clarified in February 2023 that California MCTR payments are excludable from federal gross income under the general-welfare exception).
Frequently asked questions
No. The Golden State Stimulus I and II (GSS I, GSS II) were earlier programs paid in 2021 based on 2020 tax returns, targeted at lower-income Californians and CalEITC recipients. The Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) was a broader 2022 program that extended to middle-income households. This calculator covers the MCTR.
California does not tax MCTR payments. For federal purposes, the IRS issued guidance in February 2023 (IR-2023-23) clarifying that California MCTR payments are excludable from federal gross income under the general-welfare doctrine, so you do not need to include them in your federal taxable income.
The MCTR program closed in January 2023. If you believed you were eligible and did not receive a payment or debit card, you were directed to contact the California FTB at 1-800-542-9332. Lost debit cards could be replaced through Money Network at 1-800-240-0223. These support lines may no longer be active as the program has ended.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). California Stimulus Check Calculator — MCTR Payment Estimator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/california-stimulus-check-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "California Stimulus Check Calculator — MCTR Payment Estimator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/california-stimulus-check-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "California Stimulus Check Calculator — MCTR Payment Estimator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/california-stimulus-check-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_california_stimulus_check_calculator, title = {California Stimulus Check Calculator — MCTR Payment Estimator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/california-stimulus-check-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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