Taxpayers who haven't filed 2021 tax returns may miss out on COVID stimulus checks

From Yahoo Finance: 2025-03-19 14:50:00

If you haven’t filed your 2021 tax returns, you may miss out on a COVID stimulus payment. Taxpayers who haven’t filed may be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit must do so by April 15, 2025, to claim the credit. The IRS is distributing about $2.4 billion to those who didn’t receive their payments.

Eligible taxpayers who filed a 2021 tax return but left the field for the Recovery Rebate Credit blank or incorrectly filled it out may receive special payments. Payments vary, with a maximum of $1,400 per individual. The IRS is distributing around $2.4 billion to those who missed claiming the credit.

The Recovery Rebate Credit is for individuals who didn’t receive Economic Impact Payments in 2020 and 2021. The IRS is sending out stimulus checks automatically to eligible taxpayers who didn’t claim the credit when filing their 2021 tax returns. Recipients should receive payments by late January.

Taxpayers who haven’t filed their 2021 tax returns may still qualify for the stimulus payment. They must file a tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by April 15, 2025, even if they had minimal or no income. There were three rounds of COVID stimulus payments totaling $814 billion.

The IRS based the amounts of stimulus payments on income, tax filing status, and number of dependents. The first round in March 2020 provided up to $1,200 per filer and $500 per child. The second round in December 2020 offered up to $600 per filer and child. The third round in March 2021 gave up to $1,400 per filer and child.

Read more: Haven’t filed your 2021 tax return? You might be missing out on a COVID stimulus check