All third-round stimulus checks have been sent out, the IRS announced Wednesday. If you haven't received all of the money you are eligible for, you will need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return. The third stimulus checks were technically advance payments of that credit.
Amount and Status of Your Third Payment
You can no longer use the Get My Payment application to check your payment status. To find the amount of the third payment, create or view your online account or refer to IRS Notice 1444-C, which we mailed after sending your payment.
You will need to file a 2020 tax return to get the first and second stimulus checks and a 2021 tax return to get the third stimulus check. If you didn't get your first, second, or third stimulus check, don't worry — you can still claim the payments as a tax credit and get the money as part of your tax refund.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed into law on March 11, 2021, authorized a third round of Economic Impact Payments and required them to be issued by December 31, 2021. The IRS began issuing these payments on March 12, 2021 and continued through the end of the year.
Couples who file jointly could get up to $2,800. Additionally, eligible dependents could also receive $1,400. To qualify, you had to be either a U.S. citizen or resident alien in 2021. You also had to have a valid Social Security number, though there are certain exceptions for spouses or dependents.
The vast majority of the third stimulus payments were automatically delivered to taxpayers' bank accounts or via a check in the mail last spring. The payments were authorized by the American Rescue Plan in March 2021 and were meant to help people struggling financially because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The IRS started sending the third stimulus payments in March 2021 and will continue to send them on a weekly basis as 2020 tax returns are processed. Payments will be sent to eligible people for whom the IRS did not have information to send a payment but who recently filed a 2020 tax return.
The IRS has issued all third-round Economic Impact Payments, including all plus-up payments, as of December 31, 2021.
To get a payment, you must claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return. To claim the credit, individuals will need to know the total amount of their third round of economic payments. That amount can be found on your IRS online account or on IRS Letter 6475 that is being sent to American households.
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021. Provisions in the bill authorized a third round of stimulus checks worth $1,400 for each eligible person ($2,800 for couples), plus an additional $1,400 for each dependent.
But if you're still asking yourself "where's my stimulus check," the IRS has an online portal that lets you track your payment. It's called the "Get My Payment" tool, and it's an updated version of the popular tool Americans used to track the status of their first- and second-round stimulus checks.
The IRS will automatically send a third stimulus payment to people who filed a 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return. People who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement benefits, or veterans benefits will receive a third payment automatically, too.
COVID-19 Stimulus Checks for Individuals
The IRS issued three Economic Impact Payments during the coronavirus pandemic for people who were eligible: $1,200 in April 2020. $600 in December 2020/January 2021. $1,400 in March 2021.
You'll need to request any missing third stimulus payments on your 2021 tax return by claiming the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit. This is the case if you received a partial amount (less than the full stimulus payment amount of $1,400) or didn't previously qualify for the third stimulus payment.
IRS Refund Schedule for Direct Deposits and Check Refunds
They now issue refunds every business day, Monday through Friday (except holidays). Due to changes in the IRS auditing system, they no longer release a full schedule as they did in previous years.
Use the IRS Get My Payment tool to track stimulus money
For the third stimulus check: It's worth visiting the IRS' online portal designed to track the status of your 2021 payment. Generally, it should tell you when your check will be processed and how you'll receive it: for example, as a paper check in the mail.
On March 30, the IRS and the Treasury Department announced March that Social Security recipients will see a majority of the checks sent electronically and receive on April 7, 2021, with payments beginning distribution as early as April 3. That's the latest timeline we have.
Most will be sent electronically, via direct deposit or loaded on an existing Direct Express card, and will arrive by April 7. Federal benefits recipients can expect to receive their stimulus payment the same way they normally get their benefits.
Congress passed a third stimulus payment package last week, and some direct deposits started to go out over the weekend of March 13-14. The new checks are for up to $1,400 per person and $1,400 per dependent (children or older adult dependents). Those who file joint returns will get up to $2,800.
Can our family get the third stimulus check for our children? Yes. 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.
As of July 2022, the federal government doesn't appear to have any plans to send a fourth stimulus check to all U.S. residents.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (American Rescue Plan), enacted in early March 2021, provided Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 for eligible individuals or $2,800 for married couples filing jointly, plus $1,400 for each qualifying dependent, including adult dependents.
Your check could actually be much higher or lower. To calculate the amount of your check, Uncle Sam will start with that $1,400 figure. If you're married and file a joint tax return, then both you and your spouse will get $1,400 (for a total of $2,800). If you have dependents, you get an additional $1,400 for of them.
The person is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. resident alien, or a resident of Canada or Mexico. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,200 for 2019 tax returns or $4,300 for 2020 tax returns. (Exceptions exist if the person is disabled.)
You can check the status of your stimulus check using the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool, which updates once a day. It will show you when and how your money is being sent, either direct deposit or through the mail (paper check or debit card).