Most people did not have to apply for stimulus checks, as the IRS sent them automatically to eligible individuals who filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return, or received Social Security/VA benefits. If you did not file taxes and were not on benefits, you had to use the IRS "Non-Filers" tool to provide your information.
Some people will get their check automatically. Others will have to register with the IRS.
Q1: How can I apply for the $1,000 stimulus check? You can apply online using the myPATH portal or submit a paper PA-1000 form. Free assistance is available at senior centers and community events.
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if you're eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, as the "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active for checking status, but the IRS has issued all primary payments.
Qualification for the $1,400 stimulus check (the third Economic Impact Payment) in 2021 depended on your 2021 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and filing status, with full amounts for single filers earning up to $75,000 (phasing out at $80,000) and joint filers up to $150,000 (phasing out at $160,000), plus $1,400 per dependent; you needed a valid Social Security Number and had to claim it as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if you missed the payment, with deadlines typically in April 2025.
Stimulus payments
The IRS is sending out stimulus checks to taxpayers who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax return.
Yes, it is too late to claim any COVID-19 stimulus money, as the final deadline to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit (the third stimulus payment) passed on April 15, 2025, and earlier deadlines for the first two payments also expired. The IRS only allows a three-year window to file for refunds and credits, meaning you can no longer claim these missed payments by filing old tax returns.
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.
For the third stimulus check, any household member that has an SSN qualifies for a payment. This is different than the first and second stimulus check, where at least one tax filer must have an SSN for the household to claim the stimulus checks.
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.
Your family income must be under 200% of the federal poverty level. For a own family of four, that's kind of $62,400 consistent with year. Applications closed in advance in 2025, and only 200 households were picked via a random lottery. You also can't be enrolled in every other guaranteed income program.
$1,400 for an eligible individual who has a valid Social Security number (SSN) ($2,800 for married couples filing a joint return if both spouses have a valid SSN or if one spouse has a valid SSN and one spouse was an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the taxable year) plus.
Yes, if you didn't file taxes, you could still be eligible for stimulus payments (Economic Impact Payments) by claiming them as the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on a 2020 or 2021 tax return, even if you weren't otherwise required to file, using the IRS Free File program or a VITA site to file a return to get your missing stimulus funds. The IRS sent initial payments based on prior year returns, but you needed to file a tax return for the specific year (2020 or 2021) to claim any missed amounts or payments for dependents, notes the IRS.
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.
You can't get a physical "stimulus check" now, as the IRS issued them all, but you might claim missing funds as a Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on your 2020 or 2021 tax return by filing by the April 2025 deadline; you need to file a 2020 return for 1st/2nd payments and a 2021 return for the 3rd, even if you don't usually file, using IRS Free File or tax software to claim it as part of your refund. Check your IRS online account for payment records and use IRS.gov for resources to file.
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.
Stimulus checks – The period to claim unpaid Economic Impact Payments has ended. In December 2024, the IRS sent payments to people who didn't receive them or claim the Recovery Rebate credit by April 2025. Read about the IRS' payments of the recovery rebate credit.
After the three-year refund window closes, the funds expire and cannot be issued. If you filed on time but didn't receive the credit, the IRS issued some automatic corrections in late 2024 and early 2025. If you still haven't received anything, it generally means you were either ineligible or your claim was denied.
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.
Historical content – the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit
The deadline to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for the first and second stimulus checks was May 17, 2024. While you can no longer claim these payments, below describes who may have needed to file to get these stimulus checks.
If the adjusted gross income (AGI) is not more than: $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower; $112,500 if filing as head of household or; or. $75,000 for eligible individuals using any other filing status.
As the pandemic continues, a third stimulus check has been approved by the IRS and distribution is underway. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you will automatically qualify for the third stimulus check which will be in the amount $1400.
Rumors of a universal $ 3000 check from the IRS have gained traction on social media, but these claims are not true. As of 2025, there is no federal program authorizing a new $ 3000 stimulus, rebate, or automatic payment to all Americans.