Last Chance to Claim Third Missing Stimulus Payment

For those who filed their 2021 tax return but did not claim their third stimulus payment, no additional action is needed. As part of an effort to assist taxpayers, the IRS announced on December 20, 2024, that it will issue automatic payments to eligible individuals who did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. These payments will go out automatically in December 2024 and should arrive by late January 2025. Payments will be sent via direct deposit or paper check to eligible taxpayers’ bank accounts or addresses on file. Taxpayers will also receive a letter from the IRS notifying them of the payment.

If you did not file a 2021 tax return, you must file by April 15, 2025, to claim your third stimulus payment and any refund you may be owed. If you need assistance filing your 2021 tax return, past year returns can only be done for free with the help of a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site. Check out our Prepare taxes for me in person and Prepare taxes for me online filing options for help.  Unfortunately, you cannot do past year returns through our File on My Own option.

For more details about the economic impact payment, visit the IRS’s Recovery Rebate Credit page.

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.

The third stimulus payment is worth up to $1,400 per individual ($2,800 for married couples filing jointly) plus $1,400 for each dependent.

For more details about the Economic Impact Payments, visit the IRS Recovery Rebate Credit webpage.

Eligibility Requirements:

• U.S. citizen or U.S. resident (and your spouse, if married filing jointly).
• Not eligible to be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.
• Social Security number valid for employment
• To qualify for the full amount, your adjusted gross income (AGI) must not have exceeded:
  • $150,000 (married filing jointly or qualifying widow/widower)
  • $112,500 (head of household)
  • $75,000 (single or married filing separately)

You are not eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit claimed on a 2021 tax return if any of the following apply:

• Eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s 2021 return.
• You did not have a Social Security number that was valid for employment issued before the due date of your 2021 tax return (including extensions); some exceptions apply for those who filed married filing jointly, where only one spouse had a valid Social Security number to claim the credit.
• Nonresidents, estates, or trusts.

Individuals who passed away prior to January 1, 2021, were not eligible for the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit.

You can view information about your Economic Impact Payments by signing in to, or creating, an IRS online account. Check out our step-by-step video tutorial if you need help creating an IRS online account. 

You can also contact your banking institution, or view your online banking records, to confirm if you received any payments. 

Receiving the Recovery Rebate Credit does not impact one’s income eligibility for federal benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). 

Claiming the credit does not influence an individual’s immigration status or their ability to obtain a green card or immigration benefits.