How You Can Get Your Stimulus Money If You Never Received A Check Or Payment
How you can get your stimulus money if you never received a check or payment
Q13’s AJ Janavel reports
SEATTLE – If you have not received a previous stimulus payment, you can still get those dollars into your pocket through your tax return.
While most Americans wait to hear when they will receive $1,400 from a new stimulus package, some are still waiting for one of the first two checks.
“It was crushing it was devastating. Everyone around was getting their money,” said Zach Hudson.
Hudson said he got his first payment with no issue but still has not received a second stimulus check.
Hes reached out to the IRS. He said he sat on hold for hours, but still got no information.
Q13 News reached out to experts to get answers for you.
“The recovery rebate credit is available to people who have not received stimulus payments who qualify for them,” said Isaiah Gresham.
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Gresham is a tax expert and president of Gresham Financial. This year, he’s asking clients directly if they received their stimulus payments because those dollars are there for you if you know how to get them.
“Once we have that information when were filing their tax return, there is an opportunity for us to claim that credit for them. If they have not received the stimulus but they qualify,” He said.
Gresham said you should be prompted with a similar question if you file your taxes online.
Whether To File Another Irs Form
As was the case with the first and second check, if you filed a 2018, 2019 or 2020 tax return or receive government benefits, the IRS should automatically send your third check without you having to do anything.
If, however, you’re a nonfiler, a US citizen or permanent resident, had a gross income in 2019 under $12,200 — or $24,400 as a married couple — and didn’t file a return for 2018 or 2019, you may need to give the IRS a bit of information before it can process your payment. Since the IRS’ Non-Filers tool is now closed, you may need to file for that money on a 2021 tax return in the form of a recovery rebate credit, described above.
Here’s more information about who should file an amended tax form and who shouldn’t.
Receiving your stimulus check money isn’t always easy.
What If I Never Got The 1st Or 2nd Stimulus Checks
If you’re missing a first or second stimulus check but believe you qualify, then you can claim the money on your 2020 tax return . The payments are worth up to $1,200 and $600 per person, respectively.
When you prepare your tax return, you’ll be asked to report the total Economic Impact Payment received to date.
There will be a separate worksheet on your tax return with instructions for calculating any outstanding amount owed to you, if anything. If you file your taxes using online software, the provider will prompt you to enter the required information and do the calculations for you.
The IRS advises filers to only fill out this portion of their return if they received less than the maximum payment amount.
Don’t Miss: Irs Phone Number For Stimulus Check 2021
Why Did I Receive A Debit Card
The IRS issued millions of debit cards to taxpayers in lieu of second stimulus checks, but will be sending out fewer debit cards out for the third payment. The prepaid Visa debit cards, issued by MetaBank, are called Economic Impact Payment cards. Your EIP card will arrive in a white envelope with “Economic Impact Payment Card” in the return address. You’ll need to activate the card by calling the phone number that comes with the card and choosing a 4-digit PIN number.
You can use your EIP card for purchases or use it to withdraw cash . You can also transfer the funds from your EIP card directly into your own bank account, after you register for online access.
If you use the card wisely, it will be free, but there are some fees to be aware of. If you use an out-of-network ATM or a bank teller to withdraw cash, you may need to pay a fee, and if you check the balance of the debit card, at either an in-network ATM or an out-of-network ATM, you will be charged a small fee.
The IRS has announced that the vast majority of taxpayers should receive their third stimulus payment by direct deposit this time.
Is There A Stimulus Check For 2022
In addition to the pandemic relief stimulus payments and the 2021 child tax credit, you may have heard about so called 2022 stimulus checks. The 2022 stimulus checks are essentially rebates coming from various statesnot pandemic stimulus payments from the federal government.
Why are states sending rebate checks? Because of pandemic relief funding, many states have extra cash on hand, and so are sending rebate checks to their residents in 2022. Some states like Virginia, and California, are sending those payments out now. But several other states will send rebates or have already sent them.
Recommended Reading: What Does The Stimulus Debit Card Look Like
Who Is Eligible For A Stimulus Check
The vast majority of Michigan residents are eligible to receive a stimulus check from the federal government this year. Even if you have no income, you are still eligible, but need to take action to receive your stimulus payment. This includes individuals with low or no earnings who normally don’t file taxes. Every American adult earning less than $75,000 is eligible for a stimulus check from the federal government this year. While this site is geared toward Michigan residents, the information is applicable nationwide.If you still have questions about your stimulus check after reviewing this website, call the IRS at or, United Way at .
After you sign up, make sure to add your account information on the IRS website. If you dont want to sign up for a bank account, you can also link to your prepaid debit card instead.You can also receive your funds through the Cash App, by providing the IRS with the routing and account numbers connected to your Cash App. You can download the Cash App or locate your Cash App account information here.
What if I havent filed taxes?
What if I dont qualify – where else can I get help?
If you dont qualify for the stimulus payment, we recommend reaching out to Michigan 2-1-1. They can connect you to resources in your community.
Will my payment be reduced or offset if I owe tax, have a payment agreement with the IRS, owe other Federal or State debt, or owe other debt collectors?
Didn’t Get The Full Third Payment Claim The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit
You may be eligible to claim a 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 federal tax return.
Individuals can view the total amount of their third Economic Impact Payments through their individual Online Account. Through March 2022, we’ll also send Letter 6475 to the address we have on file for you confirming the total amount of your third Economic Impact Payment and any plus-up payments you received for tax year 2021.
You will need this information from your online account or your letter to accurately calculate your 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 federal tax return in 2022. For married filing joint individuals, each spouse will need to log into their own online account or review their own letter for their half of the total payment. All amounts must be considered if filing jointly.
Using the total amount of the third payment from your online account or Letter 6475 when preparing a tax return can reduce errors and avoid delays in processing while the IRS corrects the tax return.
Recommended Reading: What Was The First Stimulus Check Amount
Stimulus Check Never Arrived Heres What To Do
It has been long enough since the checks were supposed to arrive that it is worth checking in to see what happened.
So far, the IRS has paid out 169 million stimulus checks in the third round of payments, approved by a narrow vote in Congress in early March 2021. Each of these checks is worth $1,400, for both American adults and their dependents within certain income constraints.
More than four months after the initial legislation was passed, the IRS continues to send out millions of these stimulus payments each week, in addition to the agencys other responsibilities. As it sends the stimulus payments, the IRS has also been tasked with sending out the first of six Child Tax Credit advance payments to roughly 36 million American families. These two payments are in addition to the agencys normal job of processing tax returns from the most recent round of filing in May 2021 although most returns have been processed by now, 35 million remain, creating a backlog and delaying the IRSs other functions.
With all of this happening at the IRS, it would be understandable if a few stimulus checks fell through the cracks. Therefore, if someone has not received theirs, it might simply be that the IRS has not been able to send it out yet.
If worst comes to worst, though, and the check has simply vanished somewhere along the line, dont panic for those who were unable to claim the check during this year, it can be claimed as a recovery rebate credit when filing next years taxes.
Where’s My 3rd Stimulus Check
The IRS is sending stimulus funds throughout 2021. If you haven’t received your payment yet, don’t assume you won’t ever get it.
You can check the status of your stimulus check using the IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool, which updates once a day. It will show you when and how your money is being sent, either direct deposit or through the mail .
If you get a “not available” status message, the IRS says you’re either not eligible for a third stimulus check or your payment hasn’t been processed yet. If you get a “need more information” message, you can enter your direct-deposit details to speed up your payment.
If you didn’t qualify for the third check based on 2019 income but that’s the most recent return the IRS has for you, file your 2020 return as soon as you can. Your payment will be sent once the IRS has processed your return.
If you aren’t required to file a tax return because your income is too low and you didn’t register using the IRS nonfilers tool last year, you will need to file a 2020 tax return to get any of the stimulus checks.
Also Check: N.c. $500 Stimulus Check
Americans Who Didnt Receive The Full Stimulus Amount That They Were Entitled To
If you received a payment but you dont think it was as much as it shouldve been, you should claim your Recovery Rebate Credit.
Americans should first think back to what they were eligible for from both rounds of stimulus payments. Individuals earning up to $75,000 in adjustable gross income were eligible for the full $1,200 payment in March and the second $600 payment from late December and early January. Married couples earning up to $150,000 were eligible for payments twice that size. Those earners were also eligible for an extra $500 and $600 for every dependent claimed on their taxes.
After that, payments phased out by $5 per every $100 over those income thresholds. This is probably where it gets a bit trickier.
Because the first stimulus check was larger, payments phased out at a later point on the income scale than they did for the second round. Reduced $1,200 checks went out to individuals who made up to $99,000 a year and married couples who earned up to $198,000. In the second round, individuals and married filers were eligible for a partial check up until earning $87,000 and $174,000, respectively.
Its important to calculate first for yourself how much youre owed. Then, compare that with official documents from the IRS showing your stimulus check amount. Those can include the letter accompanying your payment, as well as another special form, Notice 1444 or Notice 1444-B, which most likely came with your first check earlier in 2020.
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I Had A Problem With The First Or Second Payment
Some individuals had too much income in 2019 to qualify for the first or second stimulus payment , but their income decreased enough in 2020 for them to qualify. If you fall into this category, you can file a tax return for your 2020 taxes and you’ll receive a recovery rebate credit as part of your refund .
In other cases, families received stimulus payments by direct deposit but the IRS neglected to add money for one or more of their children. Sometimes there didn’t seem to be a reason for this . For other families, it seems the IRS did not update the number of children that taxpayers have, even for families who claimed new children on their 2019 tax returns. You’ll be able to claim the rest of the stimulus payment when you file your next tax return.
Who Does The Irs Consider An Adult Or A Dependent For Stimulus Payments
Under the tax law especially in terms of stimulus check, it is important to define adult or dependent clearly. There are rules from the tax law defining dependents. To be dependent, you must depend on your parents income. Then your parent should explain you as a dependent to get stimulus payment in the year 2019 or 2020.
Also Check: How Many Stimulus Checks Did I Get In 2021
Irs Free File Open Until November 17
To help get the word out about these tax benefits, the IRS announced on October 13, that it is sending letters to more than nine million individuals and families who appear to qualify for these stimulus benefits but did not claim them by filing a 2021 federal income tax return.
This includes people eligible not only for the 2021 recovery rebate credit and the child tax credit but also the earned income tax credit. The letters should arrive in the coming weeks.
Also, in addition to filing a 2021 tax return at ChildTaxCredit.gov, the IRS says that Free File will remain open for an until November 17, 2022. Thats one month later than the tool is normally available. If your income is $73,000 or less, Free File allows you to file your tax return online at no cost to you.
First And Second Stimulus Check
You will need to file a tax return for Tax Year 2020 . The deadline to file your taxes this year was May 17, 2021. The tax filing extension deadline is October 15, 2021.
If you missed the filing deadline, you can still file your tax return to get your first and second stimulus checks. If you dont owe taxes, there is no penalty for filing late. If you owe taxes, you may be subject to penalties and fines for not filing or not paying taxes. The government may reduce your tax refund to pay for any taxes you owe and other federal and state debts.
To learn more about your options if you think you owe taxes, read Filing Past Due Tax Returns and What to Do if I Owe Taxes but Cant Pay Them.
Also Check: When Did The Stimulus Checks Go Out In 2021
Confirm The Money Was Sent
The federal government mailed paper notices to all first and second-round stimulus check recipients after issuing their payment. Letters are also being mailed for the third round of stimulus.
The letter states the amount of the payment and method of delivery. One side is in English and the other is in Spanish. There is a notice date and number listed in the upper right corner.
If you did not get this letter , then you should create an IRS online account. The account will show the payment amount issued to you by the IRS, if any .
If I Owe Child Support Will I Be Notified That My Tax Return Is Going To Be Applied To My Child Support Arrears
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Yes.You were sent a noticewhenyour case wasinitiallysubmitted for federal tax refund offset.The federal government shouldsend an offset notice toyouwhenyour stimulus rebate paymenthasactuallybeenintercepted. The noticewill tell youthatyourtax returnhas been applied toyour child support debtand to contactthe Child Support Divisionifyoubelieve this was done in error.
Read Also: Can Unemployed Get Stimulus Check
