The deadline to claim the third stimulus check (2021 Recovery Rebate Credit) passed on April 15, 2025. It is no longer possible to file a 2021 tax return to claim this payment. The IRS has issued all stimulus checks and the, now expired, 3-year window for claiming these, or any, COVID-era stimulus payments has closed.
This page contains archived information for 2021 Taxes only. You were only able to claim the third stimulus payment by filing a 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025 and this has now expired. You can no longer claim the first or second stimulus payment(s) on a 2020 or tax return since that expired on May 17, 2024.
Eligibility for the $1400 third stimulus check (Economic Impact Payment) was based on your 2019 or 2020 tax information, requiring you to be a U.S. citizen/resident with a valid Social Security Number (SSN), not a dependent, and within certain income limits (AGI up to $75k single, $150k married). The payment provided $1,400 for eligible individuals and an additional $1,400 for each qualifying dependent, including adult dependents, regardless of age, as long as they had a valid SSN or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). If you missed it, you could claim it as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return (filed in 2022).
Stimulus checks were sent out back in 2020 as part of COVID relief. In 2021, the Recovery Rebate Credit was available to claim on your return if you didn't receive your stimulus checks. Both of those initiatives have ended.
If you didn't receive the third stimulus payment, check IRS Get My Payment tool for status. You may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return using IRS Form 1040. Ensure your filing includes accurate income and dependent information. The credit can offset taxes owed or increase your refund.
The IRS is no longer mailing third stimulus checks automatically. If you haven't received your third stimulus check by mail, you must file a 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025, to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. Since this is the last year to file a 2021 tax return, you must mail it to the IRS.
Stimulus payments, called “Recovery Rebate Credits” by the IRS, were issued in 2020 and 2021. Individuals who didn't receive their 2021 payment had until April 15, 2025, to file or amend a tax return and claim a missing payment. That deadline has now passed.
It is now too late; the deadline to use the recovery rebate credit for the 2020 stimulus was in 2024; the deadline to get the recovery rebate credit for 2021 was April 15, 2025.
If you haven't claimed the third economic impact payment yet, now is your time to do so. April 15, 2025, will be the last opportunity to claim the third payment.
If you did not receive the first or second Economic Impact Payment, or received a partial payment, you can still claim your full amount. According to the IRS, you should file a 2020 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
Households with adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $75,000 for individuals (up to $150,000 if married filing jointly and up to $112,500 if head of household ) will receive the full payment. The third stimulus payment starts to phaseout for people with higher earnings.
Securely access your IRS online account to view the total of your first, second and third Economic Impact Payment amounts under the Tax Records page.
You can claim the stimulus payments as a tax credit and get the money as part of your tax refund. The stimulus checks are a federal tax credit, known as the Recovery Rebate Credit. In order to get the Recovery Rebate Credit, you will need to file a tax return.
While speculation about a fourth stimulus check has surfaced on social media and unverified websites, there has been no official confirmation from Congress or the IRS to support this claim and any such news should be taken with caution as it could be misinformation or attempted fraud.
Yes, the IRS announced in late 2024 it would send up to $1,400 to about 1 million taxpayers who missed claiming the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit (third stimulus payment) by automatically issuing payments via direct deposit or paper check, using 2023 tax return info, with most expected by early 2025; eligible individuals who didn't receive these funds might still get them if they filed a 2021 return by the April 15, 2025 deadline. These payments were for those who didn't receive the full third stimulus or didn't claim the credit, with amounts depending on income, filing status, and dependents.
If you're on SSDI, you've likely received past stimulus checks automatically. Right now, there's no new stimulus in 2025, but history shows that SSDI beneficiaries have been included in relief programs. If another round is ever approved, you can expect to qualify as long as you meet income rules.
To check for unclaimed stimulus checks, access your IRS online account, as the main period to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit ended in April 2025, but you can see payment info; for other potential unclaimed funds (like state refunds or dormant accounts), search the free unclaimed.org (NAUPA) or MissingMoney.com, which link to official state databases for free searches.
To check if you're owed a past stimulus payment, use the IRS.gov website to access your online account and view payment records, or if you missed a payment, see if you're eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, as the "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active for checking status, but the IRS has issued all primary payments.
Payments will vary but the maximum amount will be $1,400 per individual. In total, the IRS will be distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. The IRS has posted information online about eligibility and how the payment was calculated.
What you need to do
The 2021 stimulus payments were worth up to $1,400 per individual, or $2,800 per married couple. A family of four could receive up to $5,600 with two eligible dependents.
If your income was under $120,000, you are a U.S. resident alien and not a dependent on another taxpayer's 2021 return, you can't claim $1,400 for yourself, but you may still claim up to $1,400 for each dependent you claimed on your return who has a valid SSN.
U.S. Treasury Checks
That means that if you receive a tax refund check or a stimulus check, you would still be entitled to the money the government owes after that one-year mark, but you would need to contact the check issuer and ask for a new one if that time has passed.
To check your U.S. federal tax refund status, use the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool or IRS2Go app on IRS.gov, needing your Social Security number/ITIN, filing status, and exact refund amount; for state refunds, check your specific state's Department of Revenue website. Federal refunds are typically updated within 24 hours of e-filing, with most e-filed refunds processed within 21 days.
The IRS Fresh Start Program 2026 is a federal tax relief programdesigned to help individuals and small businesses resolve back taxes. It offers structured options like installment agreements, penalty relief, and Offers in Compromise.