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If you haven’t received your $1,400 stimulus check, you may still be eligible for the money.
About 159 million stimulus payments have been sent since Congress authorized a third round of stimulus checks in March. Those payments total more than $376 billion.
They include up to $1,400 per adult, plus $1,400 per child or adult dependent.
As with previous stimulus checks, your adjusted gross income must be below certain levels in order to qualify for a payment: up to $75,000 if single, $112,500 as head of household or $150,000 if married and filing jointly.
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This time, those checks phase out more quickly. Singles with adjusted gross income of $80,000 and up, as well as heads of household with $120,000 and married couples with $160,000, do not qualify for a payment.
Other requirements also apply. You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien in order to qualify for the money.
While the bulk of the $1,400 payments have been sent, additional checks continue to go out each week. Here’s a look at who still stands to receive the money.
‘Plus-up’ payments
Even if you already received your third stimulus check, you may qualify for a “plus-up” payment.
The $1,400 stimulus checks were initially sent based, in general, on 2019 tax returns. But once your 2020 tax return is processed, you may qualify for more money, particularly if your income dropped last year or if you added a dependent to your family.
If that is the case, the IRS will send you the additional money which you are due.
People who don’t file tax returns
As the IRS processes 2020 tax returns, it is also sending new $1,400 stimulus payments to those people whom it did not previously have on record.
If you do not typically file tax returns nor receive federal benefits, the IRS urges you to submit a tax return this year in order to receive your stimulus check.
If you make $72,000 or less, you can file your federal tax return for free using the IRS’ Free File program. In addition, the IRS also provides more information on submitting a tax return for people in this situation on its website.
Homeless people
Even if you do not have a permanent address or bank account, you may still qualify for a stimulus check, according to the IRS.
That includes people who are homeless, poor and live in rural areas, as well as other underserved groups, the tax agency recently said.
Those people are encouraged to file tax returns, which can be done through a smart phone or computer. In addition, they can expedite their payment by opening a bank account with a low-cost or no-cost financial institution and submitting the routing number to their account when they file.
As with other people who do not typically file tax returns, they may be eligible to use the IRS’ Free File program.
Federal beneficiaries
People who receive federal benefits are typically among those who receive new stimulus checks deployed by the U.S. government each week.
That includes people who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement or Veterans Affairs benefits.
Those beneficiaries who do not typically file tax returns generally do not need to do anything in order to receive their stimulus check.
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However, if they have dependents who are eligible for stimulus payments, the IRS encourages them to file a tax return so that they are included.
In addition to the IRS’ Free File program, certain people may qualify for free assistance with preparing their tax returns.
The IRS also offers programs including Tax Counseling for the Elderly, as well as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA. The VITA program is available to people who have $57,000 or less in income, or who have disabilities or limited English speaking ability. Many sites offering those services are temporarily closed due to Covid-19, however the IRS offers a locator tool on its website.
