To check if you claimed or received your stimulus check (Economic Impact Payment), log in to your IRS Online Account to view your tax records and total payment amounts. The IRS has issued all payments, but you can confirm amounts for 2020/2021 by reviewing your tax transcripts. If you did not receive a payment, you may have needed to claim it via the Recovery Rebate Credit.
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.
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.
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 find out the amounts of stimulus checks that the IRS has issued to you, visit your IRS Online Account. If you don't have an account, you will need to create one using ID.me. If you are missing your third stimulus check, you must file your 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025.
Check the Status of Your Economic Impact Payment
If you didn't get the full amounts of the first and second Economic Impact Payments, you may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return – even if you don't usually file taxes - to claim it.
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.
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.
Stimulus check eligibility for the three federal Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) in 2020 and 2021 primarily depended on income levels (Adjusted Gross Income or AGI) set by the CARES Act (1st/2nd) and American Rescue Plan (3rd), with thresholds like $75k for single filers and $150k for joint filers, plus requirements for valid Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for recipients and dependents, though the third payment included more dependents. Eligibility also extended to non-filers receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits.
Didn't get the full first and second payments? Claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. You may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit by filing a 2020 tax return. For the latest updates, check IRS.gov/coronavirus.
What you need to do
You don't need to do anything to get your stimulus check. The IRS will determine eligibility based on the last tax return that you filed, either 2019 or 2020, and will likely send your payment to the bank account where your tax refund was deposited.
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.
No, the IRS is not currently sending out new $1400 stimulus checks in 2026, but they did wrap up sending out final automatic payments for unclaimed 2021 Recovery Rebate Credits in late 2024/early 2025, with the deadline to claim these missed payments passing on April 15, 2025; new checks would require new Congressional action, and any texts about current stimulus payments are scams, say FOX 5 DC, CNBC, and IRS.gov.
You'll claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 tax return. If your income is $73,000 or less, you can file your federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program.
You can view the status of your payment on the IRS Get My Payment page. You may need information from your 2018 or 2019 tax return. You will be able to check your payment status and method, as well as provide direct deposit information if that option is available.
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.
If you're unsure if you received the money, there's a simple way to check via your IRS account online, tax experts say. 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 you did not receive the first or second Economic Impact Payment, or received a partial payment, you can still claim your full amount.
Those with questions can call the stimulus check hotline at 1-800-919- 9835.
A million tax filers got letters from the IRS in December indicating they had money coming to them because they were eligible to receive the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit but didn't claim it on their 2021 federal tax return. Those checks were sent out by late January, the IRS says.
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.
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.