Deadline to Claim Stimulus Checks Extended to Nov. 21

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the deadline for the nearly nine million people who don’t normally file federal income taxes to register for an economic stimulus check. The deadline is now Nov. 21, five weeks later than the original Oct. 15 cutoff.

This additional time is only for those who have not received a stimulus check, don’t normally file a federal income tax return and don’t plan to do so. Typically, these are people who made little or no money and didn’t have to file.

The IRS says these individuals should register as quickly as possible using the Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov. The tool will not be available after Nov. 21 because the IRS needs to gear up for the 2020 federal income tax filing season.

“We took this step to provide more time for those who have not yet received a payment to register to get their money, including those in low-income and underserved communities,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “The IRS is deeply involved in processing and programming that overlaps filing seasons. Any further extension beyond November would adversely impact our work on the 2020 and 2021 filing seasons. The non-filers portal has been available since the spring and has been used successfully by many millions of Americans.”

If you miss this deadline, you’ll have to file a 2020 federal income tax return to claim your credit. If you filed a 2019 or 2018 federal income tax return and didn’t receive a stimulus check – or if you registered with the IRS and didn’t get a check – you can use the IRS Get My Payment tool to check its status.

Who is eligible

U.S. citizens and U.S. resident aliens are eligible for checks of up to $1,200 ($2,400 if married and filing joint federal tax returns), provided they are not claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer and have a Social Security number. There are also income limits to receive the full payment:

• $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns
• $112,500 for head of household filers
• $75,000 for all other eligible individuals

The amount of the stimulus check is reduced by $5 for every $100 of income above those levels.

Dependent children

If you didn’t file taxes and received $1,200 because you receive government benefits, such as Social Security retirement benefits, Survivor or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad retirement benefits or Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, the deadline to register for up to $500 per eligible child is Nov. 21.

If you haven’t received a stimulus payment and are not required to file 2018 or 2019 federal income tax returns, you may use the IRS Non-Filers Tool to register yourself, your spouse and any eligible children for the additional payment of up to $500. You have until November 21 to do so.

Self-supporting college students

Generally, a self-supporting student who registers will receive a $1,200 payment if they are single or $2,400 if married and file a joint return and the student or their spouse cannot be claimed as a dependent. If they have dependent children, they may also get an additional $500 for each qualifying child.

Only self-supporting students who are not required to file a tax return should use the Non-Filers tool. Students who are claimed as a dependent on their parents’ returns (or anyone else’s) cannot get a payment. Students who need to or want to file a regular tax return should not use the Non-Filers tool. This includes any student who had federal income tax withheld from their pay and wants to file a tax return to claim a refund. Working students who have a summer or part-time job should consider filing a tax return so they can receive a potential federal tax refund.

Millions may be missing out on stimulus checks

The IRS sent letters to those who may be eligible for a stimulus payment, reminding them of the claiming deadline. The letter looks like this:

Anyone using the non-filers tool can speed up the arrival of their payment by choosing to receive it by direct deposit. Those not choosing this option will get a paper check.

Who may be missing a stimulus check?

State-by-state breakdown of the number of people who still potentially qualify for a stimulus payment:

California

1,186,896 

Texas

796,525

Florida

567,425

New York

537,726

Georgia

348,631

Illinois

309,972

Ohio

283,194

Pennsylvania

276,066

Michigan

270,590

North Carolina

245,623

Arizona

239,037

New Jersey

216,145

Virginia

205,600

Washington

203,978

Maryland

192,153

Massachusetts

187,768

Colorado

177,502

Tennessee

171,065

Louisiana

159,575

Missouri

159,077

Indiana

150,154

Alabama

148,242

South Carolina