Here's What To Do About Your Coronavirus Stimulus Payment If You Don't Usually File Taxes
Millions of Americans are still expecting to receive stimulus checks in the coming weeks and months, but there is a lot of confusion about these "economic impact payments." As the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continues to send out these $1,200 payments, many people have questions about when they will receive their checks. For example, can you get the coronavirus stimulus check if you don't file taxes? You can, but you may need to take action.
According to the IRS, you can qualify to receive a stimulus check of up to $1,200 as long as you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or an immigrant who meets certain specifications. In order to be eligible for the full stimulus check, an individual must make less than $75,000 per year, and a jointly-filing couple must make less than $150,000 per year. Even if you don't file taxes, however, you should still be able to receive a stimulus check, but there are some stipulations. If you receive Social Security, disability, Veterans Affairs (VA), or railroad retirement benefits and therefore do not file tax returns, you should be able to receive a stimulus check without taking any action, regardless of your income. You can also receive a stimulus check if you receive supplemental security income (SSI) benefits or income from other federal benefit programs, per the IRS website.
If you didn't file taxes in 2018 or 2019 and you don't receive any of these federal benefits, however, you will still need to take action to make sure that you still receive your stimulus check. The IRS has developed a "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" tool to ensure that you can still get your stimulus check even if you didn't file a tax return in the last two years. If you made less than $12,200 in 2019 as an individual — or less than $24,400 as a married couple — and you weren't otherwise required to file a tax return in 2019, then you can use this free tool to provide the IRS with your bank account information. According to the IRS, this is the fastest way to get your stimulus check.
The other way for non-filers to get their stimulus check is to file a federal tax return for 2019. The IRS website states that you can take this action as a non-filer even if you normally don't make enough money to file a tax return, or if you receive non-taxable income. Regardless of which of these options you choose, the IRS urges all non-filers to take one of these actions as quickly as possible so the agency can process your information and get your payment out to you.
Unfortunately for anyone who receives Social Security, survivor, disability, or Railroad Retirement benefits, the deadline to register any dependent children you have with the non-filer tool has passed. You will still be able to get your $500-per-child stimulus payment, but not until 2021 when you file your 2020 taxes and claim your stimulus credit, per The Washington Post.
Ultimately, if you are a non-filer who meets all of the eligibility criteria to receive a stimulus check, you should still be able to get your payment — but you need to take the steps outlined above in order to do so. With millions of Americans slated to receive stimulus checks this year, it may take some time, but the IRS is rushing to get these payments out as quickly as possible.
If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.
