IRS is sending out stimulus checks to 1 million taxpayers. What to know
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The Internal Revenue Service is sending out $2.4 billion in stimulus payments to approximately 1 million eligible taxpayers who didn't receive 2021 COVID recovery relief payments.
The big picture: The special payments are as high as $1,400 per individual and should arrive by late January in most cases, the IRS said in a news release.
- Payments started going out automatically in December, the federal agency said.
IRS stimulus checks eligibility
Context: The payments are for taxpayers who didn't receive the Recovery Rebate Credit in 2021.
- The Recovery Rebate Credit is a refundable credit for individuals who did not receive one or more Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus payments or stimulus checks.
- No action is needed for eligible taxpayers to receive these payments, the IRS said, noting the payments will be direct deposited or sent by paper check.
- Eligible taxpayers should receive a separate letter notifying them of the payment, the IRS said.
$1,400 stimulus check: Payment amounts vary
Zoom in: The IRS said payments vary depending on several factors, but the maximum payment is $1,400 per individual.
- It's up to $1,400 for each qualifying adult and $1,400 for each eligible child or adult dependent.
- To be eligible for the credit, 2021 adjusted gross income had to be below $80,000 if filing as a single filer and under $160,000 if filing jointly, per the IRS.
Check stimulus payment status
Yes, but: Most eligible people have already received these payments, the IRS said, noting it has issued "all first, second and third Economic Impact Payments."
- The Get My Payment application to check payment status is no longer available but the IRS said people who are missing payments can "determine their eligibility to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit for tax year 2020 or 2021."
How it works: The IRS says to "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."
File 2021 returns by April 15 for unclaimed stimulus money
Between the lines: While most payments will be sent automatically, the IRS is reminding taxpayers who have not filed 2021 tax returns that "they may be eligible for a refund if they file and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by the April 15, 2025, deadline."
- "Eligible taxpayers who did not file must file a tax return to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit, even if their income from a job, business or other source was minimal or non-existent," the IRS said.
2025 tax filing season
What's next: The 2025 tax filing season begins Jan. 27 and April 15 is the filing deadline this year, the IRS said.
- IRS Direct File, which started as a pilot last year, will be available in 25 states this year.
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