To check for unclaimed stimulus money, use the IRS Online Account for past payments and the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020/2021 tax returns (filed by April 2025), and search state databases via MissingMoney.com or Unclaimed.org for general unclaimed funds (banks, insurance) that might include old stimulus checks sent to the wrong address. If you're missing a payment, check with the issuing federal agency (like the IRS or VA) as they hold records for returned checks.
Check the status of your stimulus check on the IRS Get My Payment website.
Can I still claim missing first and second stimulus payments? To have claimed missing first and second stimulus checks, individuals needed to have filed a 2020 tax return by May 17, 2024. The time to file or amend a 2020 tax return to claim these payments has passed.
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.
Those with questions can call the stimulus check hotline at 1-800-919- 9835.
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.
If you didn't and you are not required to file a tax return, the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here is a free IRS tool that allows you to easily and quickly provide information about yourself and your family. The IRS will use this information to determine your eligibility and send you an Economic Impact Payment.
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.
What you need to do
Historical content – the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit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.
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.
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.
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.
The IRS will send a Letter 6475 in late January, 2022, that lists the stimulus payment amount sent to you. The letter details your information for easy reference—you don't have to file it with your tax return.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you did not receive your first or second stimulus payment, or if it was for the wrong amount, you'll need to file a tax return for the 2020 tax year (by May 17, 2021 unless you request an extension). You'll file Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR (tax return for seniors).
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.
The Recovery Rebate Credit represented up to $1,400 per person in unclaimed COVID-19 stimulus payments. According to IRS data, approximately $1 billion went unclaimed when the final deadline expired on April 15, 2025. If you're searching for this credit now, the window has permanently closed. No extensions exist.
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.
Check the Status of Your Economic Impact Payment