IRS stimulus check: What is the deadline, who is eligible and all you need to know

During the Covid pandemic, the U.S. government offered financial relief through three rounds of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). One of these was provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the American Recovery Plan, which gave up to $1,400 to eligible individuals or $2,800 for married couples, and offered payments of $1,400 for all qualifying dependents in a family, not just children under 17. There is now less than a week left for those who have not received the money to claim it.

The Recovery Refund Credit is, as the name implies, a refundable credit intended for individuals who did not receive one or more Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), also known as stimulus checks. In December 2024, the IRS began issuing payments to those who were eligible, but did not claim this credit on their 2021 tax return. All payments should have been received by the end of January 2025, without taxpayers having to take any additional action to obtain them.

The 2021 stimulus payments are still worth up to $1,400 per individual or $2,800 for a married couple. A family with two eligible dependents could receive up to $5,600. Those who have not received the money will be able to claim the catch-up refund credit on their 2021 federal return.

What is the deadline?

April 15 is the deadline to file your 2021 tax return and receive the IRS stimulus check that was offered during the pandemic. Those who do not file their 2021 return by that date may miss out on other benefits such as the earned income tax credit. After that day, the money can no longer be claimed, as there is a three-year period for claiming refunds.

In some cases, the 2021 return will no longer be available electronically, so it must be sent via certified mail, which will serve as proof that it was sent before the April 15 deadline. If it is not sent in certified form, it could be rejected.

Who is eligible?

A person is eligible to receive the full amount of the Recovery Refund Credit if his or her adjusted gross income (AGI) was up to $75,000 if he or she filed as a single person, or up to $150,000 if he or she filed jointly with a spouse. However, if income exceeded those limits, the amount of the credit begins to phase out. Once AGI reaches $80,000 for single filers or $160,000 for couples filing jointly, you are no longer eligible to receive the credit.

If you have applied for the 2021 stimulus check, you can check your status in your IRS account. In that system, it is possible to view key data from your last tax return, and access transcripts or a tax compliance report. You can also view and make payments, or set up preferences, among other tax actions. If you do not know if you have already filed your 2021 return, the system has a record to confirm it.

According to IRS estimates, there are currently more than $1 billion in unclaimed 2021 returns, representing more than 1.1 million taxpayers and an average return of $781, not including applicable credits.

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