How do I get my 3rd stimulus check?

Asked by: Delfina Bernier  |  Last update: August 1, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (49 votes)

To get your 3rd stimulus check (up to $ 1 , 400 $ 1 , 4 0 0 per person), which was issued in 2021, you must file a 2021 Form 1040 to claim it as a Recovery Rebate Credit. If you did not receive the payment automatically, you must file this 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025, to receive it.

What do I do if I didn't get my third stimulus check?

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.

Can I still claim my stimulus check?

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.

How do I find out if I got the 3rd stimulus check?

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.

Is IRS giving the 3rd stimulus check?

The opportunities to claim or file for the first stimulus payment (issued in March and April 2020) or the second stimulus check (issued by Jan. 15, 2021) or the third stimulus check (issued between March and December 2021) have now passed.

What you need to know about the 3rd stimulus check

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Who is eligible for the $1400 third stimulus check?

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). 

Who approved the 3rd stimulus check?

The third stimulus check was approved as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion relief bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021. It was a Democratic-led effort, passed without Republican support, providing $1,400 direct payments to eligible individuals. 

How did people receive the third stimulus check?

In mid-March 2021, millions of Americans received a third stimulus payment via direct deposit, with additional rounds of payments following in the weeks after by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card.

Is there a deadline to claim stimulus payments?

However, the deadline to claim the 2021 stimulus check is still open until June 15, 2025.

Is the IRS still sending out $1,400 stimulus checks to eligible people?

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. 

How to check if you are owed a stimulus check?

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. 

Is it too late to get a stimulus check?

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.

Can I get a stimulus check if I didn't file taxes?

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. 

Is there a 4th stimulus check coming?

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.

Is the IRS sending stimulus checks to taxpayers who missed the recovery rebate credit?

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.

Can I still claim my 3rd stimulus check?

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.

When to receive a 1400 stimulus check?

The IRS says that most people who were eligible for the stimulus payments have already received them — either in 2020, 2021 or in December 2024 when the agency started sending checks to people who hadn't claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 returns.

Can I still apply for my stimulus?

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.

What do you do if you didn't get the third stimulus check?

If you didn't get the full amount of the third Economic Impact Payment, you may be eligible to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2021 tax return – even if you don't usually file taxes - to claim it.

Is there really a third stimulus check coming out?

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes a third round of stimulus checks. The payments are an advance of a temporary credit for 2021 (which you file taxes for in 2022).

What year was the $1400 stimulus check?

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.

Did the stimulus check bill pass?

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th United States Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Are people on disability getting a stimulus check in 2025?

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.