The easiest way to claim any of the Economic Impact Payments sent to Americans during the coronavirus pandemic is to file your 2020 federal taxes. The deadline to file your 2020 federal taxes was moved to May 17th this year, so you still have time.
You don’t want to miss out. The three separate payments could add up to $3,200 per person. And if you don’t file your taxes, you may not get the money.
To file Federal taxes to be eligible to receive the your stimulus checks, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or qualifying resident alien. A resident alien is a person who has a valid green card also known as an alien registration card, or is a person who resided in the U.S. for 31 days during the current year, and 183 days during the 3-year period that includes the current year and the 2 years immediately before that, counting:
* All the days you were present in the current year, and
* 1/3 of the days you were present in the first year before the current year, and
* 1/6 of the days you were present in the second year before the current year. - Have a valid Social Security Number.
- Have an annual income less than $150,000 (if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower); $112,500 (if filing as head of household); or $75,000 (for eligible individuals using any other filing statuses, such as single filers and married people filing separate returns.)
- Not be a dependent of another taxpayer on a 2020 tax return.
File your taxes by Monday, May 17, 2021; even if you don’t usually file your taxes, and/or didn’t work in 2020.
Filing your taxes also will help the IRS figure out if you are eligible to receive an advanced payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will be sent out this summer.