Category: Common Tax Mistakes

How To Claim Unpaid Stimulus Money On Your 2020 Tax Return

2/17/2021

hile many of us received both of our stimulus payments, for many Americans that was not the case. Today, we are going to be talking about how to claim your stimulus payments on your 2020 tax returns.

Tax season will officially be here on Friday, February 12th, and while all Americans are preparing to get their taxes in by April 15th, many are still waiting for one or both of their stimulus payments to arrive. Great news, the two go hand in hand! You can claim your missing stimulus money on your 2020 tax return. Even if you are a nonfiler, you are still able to file a 2020 tax return and receive your stimulus funds. Today, we are going to be talking about how best to do that and why you will want to file your taxes as early as possible to help benefit future stimulus payments.

How Do I Claim My Missing Stimulus Payments On My 2020 Tax Return?
While tax season might bring on stress and worry, take comfort in the fact that if you've not received one or both of your stimulus payments or you feel like you were not given the correct amount by the IRS, filing your taxes can help you take action to get the money you're owed!

Tax preparation companies, like Hoods, are already accepting returns. However, you can not begin filing until Friday, February 12th. The faster you prepare your taxes, the quicker you can file them. The quicker you file your taxes, the quicker your tax return and missing stimulus money will be returned to you!
When filing, look for line 30, which will be labeled as Recovery Rebate Credit. It will appear on both 1040 and 1040-SR tax forms. 1040-SR tax forms are for those aged 65 years and older. Nowhere on your taxes will it mention stimulus checks or economic impact payments, it will only be referred to as your Recovery Rebate Credit.
On line 30, you will need to list what you have been given in total from the IRS (even if that is $0) and what you are owed. It is as simple and as easy as that. This will then increase the amount of the refund you will receive or it will decrease the amount that you will owe the IRS. Do not include any other amounts, writeoffs, or tax credits on line 30. Only list the amount you are owed from missing stimulus money.
Please remember that the first stimulus payment was worth up to $1,200 per adult earning $75,000 a year and below. If you made more, the amount provided decreased. The payment for couples was up to $2,400 for those who earned $150,000 a year and below. The amount also decreased depending on how much more filing couples made together over that amount.
The second payment was up to $600 per individual and up to $1,200 per couple, depending on the same regulations and guidelines as the first stimulus.
For the first stimulus, individuals could also receive an additional $500 per child under the age of 17 and $600 per qualifying child in the second round of stimulus payments. If you did not properly claim your children or guardians or did not receive these funds in either stimulus payment, these funds are still available for you to claim in your 2020 tax return as well. Please add this amount to what you write in on line 30 of your Recovery Rebate Credit. Please also make sure to adjust who you claim on your taxes to avoid any other issues like this in the future.
You also might qualify for more money if your income or household size has changed. Stimulus payments were based on 2019 and 2018 income and household sizes. If this has changed for you and your family, it could mean you are owed more stimulus money.
Even if you don't normally file your taxes, according to the IRS, you must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit that you're owed.
By visiting the IRS website, you can see when and how you were issued both payments. However, as of January 29th of this year, the Get My Payment page on the IRS website will no longer be updated for the first and second economic impact payments. If you are not provided with a payment date for either stimulus payment or have not received one or both, then you can claim your payments on your 2020 tax return.
Filing your tax return early might even help out with guaranteeing any future stimulus payments. While a third has not officially been set, the president has made moves to propose one and it is currently being discussed. Filing sooner might also guarantee that you receive all the money you're owed next time, meaning less hassle for your future tax filing and more money when you need it.
The current bill being proposed by the government could lower the income amount for those who receive the full stimulus amounts. For example, single filers who make $50,000 and below instead of those who make $75,000 and below would receive the full amount. So, filing now will help make sure that you receive your full amount of economic relief according to the 1st and 2nd payment standards.
If you do file sooner rather than later, the third proposed stimulus check could be paid properly and in full, and it will be based on your 2019 and 2020 tax return, whichever they have most recently on record. If you made less in 2020 or had a baby, and the IRS only has your 2019 taxes on file, your stimulus payments would reflect your status of 2019 and not 2020.
Please remember that the fastest way to receive your return and your missing stimulus funds is to file online and to have an active direct deposit account on file with the IRS. The IRS is saying that 90% of filers will receive their refunds in 21 days or less!
If you owe money to the IRS, the money you are owed from the Recover Rebate Credit will be applied to the debt. Even if you are still owed stimulus money, you might not receive all of it if you owe the IRS.
Please remember that you will not have to pay any taxes on any of the stimulus money you have received or any that you will receive in the future.

We know 2020 taxes and future stimulus payments might be difficult to navigate, but we are here to help in every way possible. If you are still concerned about filing your 2020 taxes or about receiving your stimulus payments, please don't hesitate to reach out! Please know that all of us at Hoods are here to help you, and we want to help you receive your tax return as quickly as possible! Please reach out to us if you'd like to begin working with us or have any questions or comments! Is there a topic about taxes that you would like to learn more about? Let us know and comment below! Remember, if you are looking for the best accounting services in Goose Creek, the best tax preparation in Goose Creek, business consulting in Goose Creek, bookkeeping in Goose Creek, or payroll services in Goose Creek, we are here for you! Our phone lines and inboxes are waiting for you. Don't hesitate! Please stay safe, everyone. We will see you soon!

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