You may qualify for an IRS Recovery Rebate Credit if you did not receive the full amount of the first, second, or third Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) sent in 2020 and 2021. To claim these, you must file a 2020 or 2021 tax return, even if you are not normally required to file.
Generally, if you were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2021, you were not a dependent of another taxpayer, and you either have a valid SSN or claim a dependent who has a valid SSN or ATIN, you are eligible to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit.
Visit the IRS Get My Payment (GMP) portal at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment to see if you can expect a 2021 Economic Impact Payment. The GMP portal will provide the date when your payment was or will be sent.
Normally, a taxpayer will qualify for the full amount of Economic Impact Payment if they have AGI of up to $75,000 for singles and married persons filing a separate return, up to $112,500 for heads of household, and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns and surviving spouses.
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.
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're eligible for the full recovery rebate credit with up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income as a single filer or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly for 2021.
Your income is too high.
A big reason you won't qualify for a stimulus payment (or economic-impact payment, as the IRS calls it) is that you make too much money. You won't get a stimulus check if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is greater than: $80,000, if your filing status was single or married and filing separately.
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 track your past stimulus payments, you can check your IRS online account for total amounts or, if you're missing payments, file a tax return claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit, as the official "Get My Payment" tool is no longer active for the original stimulus rounds but your account shows records, using your Social Security Number (SSN) for access and verification.
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.
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.
Check the status of your stimulus check on the IRS Get My Payment website.
Any family member that has a Social Security number ( SSN ) or dependent (regardless of age) can qualify for the third stimulus check. For example, in a household where both parents have ITINs, and their children have SSNs, the children qualify for stimulus checks, even though the parents don't.
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.
The eligibility for seniors typically aligns with broader criteria set for the general population, but there are specific considerations, such as income levels, tax filing status, and dependency status, that determine whether a senior is qualified to receive a payment.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR A STIMULUS CHECK? You will get $1,200 if you are single and earn less than $75,000 before taxes.
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.
However, the payment amounts may vary, according to the IRS. The full credit amount is available to individual taxpayers with up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income and to married couples who file jointly with up to $150,000 for 2021.
If you are on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a railroad retiree, or are receiving Social Security survivor benefits, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) will use the information on your annual Social Security Administration form to distribute the 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.
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.
Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if: You were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2021. You are not a dependent of another taxpayer for tax year 2021.