IRS stimulus check eligibility: What it is and who qualifies

FILE – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, DC, US, Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A small number of taxpayers will receive a special payment from the IRS in the coming weeks.

Here’s what the rebate payment is and who receives it:

What is the IRS stimulus check?

The pending IRS stimulus check is formally called the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. It was one of three COVID stimulus payments sent to households amid the pandemic.

In March 2021, eligible individuals received up to $1,400 per income tax collector and $1,400 per child under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Recently, the IRS has identified a very small number of taxpayers who never claimed this credit or who received less than the full amount and who are sending out what they owe.

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Who Gets the IRS Stimulus Check?

The IRS said most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments, formally known as Economic Impact Payments, have already received them, but that approximately 1 million taxpayers did not claim the credit.

The unpaid credits are sent to taxpayers who filed a 2021 tax return but left the recovery rebate credit input field blank or entered it as $0 when they were actually eligible for the credit.

How much is the payment?

Payments will vary, but the maximum amount will be $1,400 per person.

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How does the money come?

Payments are made automatically and should arrive by direct deposit or check before the end of the month.

They will be sent to the bank account listed on the taxpayer’s 2023 return or to the address on file with the IRS.

Eligible taxpayers do not need to take any action.

The source: The information in this article was taken from The Associated Press and an FAQ page on the IRS website about the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit and was originally reported on December 22, 2024. This story was reported from Detroit.

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