Amend 2020 Tax Forms for the Recovery Rebate Credit

If you have e-filed your 2020 Federal tax return and the tax return is accepted by the IRS, you will have to amend your 2020 Federal tax return and correct the entries and calculations to receive the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Follow these steps to amend a 2020 Federal 1040 tax return in TurboTax Online.

1. Sign in to TurboTax.
2. Scroll down to Your tax returns and documents, select 2020, then Amend (change) your return.
   1. If you only see the option to amend 2019 or earlier, it's because you can't amend an unfiled 2020 return. Instead, select Pick up where you left off so you can make any changes before you file.
3. Carefully follow the instructions. Don't worry if your refund changes to $0. This is normal for amended returns.

If you have not received one or both of your stimulus checks, you will receive your payment in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit on line 30 of your 2020 Federal tax return when you file.

In TurboTax Online, you are prompted to input stimulus check 1 and stimulus check 2 information under Review down the left hand side of the screen.  You may also access your stimulus check choices by following these steps: 

• Down the left side of the screen, click on Federal.
• Across the top of the screen, click on Other Tax Situations.
• At the screen Let’s keep going to wrap up.  Click on Let’s keep going.
• At the screen Let’s make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click Continue.
• At the screen Did you get a stimulus payment? you can update your stimulus check entries.

TurboTax will compare your one or two stimulus payment amounts to the computations within TurboTax.  The computations within TurboTax are based upon the information that you have entered into the tax software.  If you are due an additional amount, it will be issued as a Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on line 30 of the 2020 1040 tax return.

I can get into the 2020 Tax form to Amend, however I see no option to access the page for the Recovery Rebate Credit.?.

Is this an option in the Turbo Tax Delux Online version?

Go to the Federal Review section at the top to enter your stimulus payment info for the Recovery Rebate Credit. 

Hey Marilyn, 

     That option worked when I originally submitted my 2020 tax forms online, however I am now attempting to amend my 2020 forms & the recovery credit rebate option does not seem to appear.?.

Will I now have to amend the forms manually for the recovery credit rebate option while amending the 2020 forms?

No, you do not have to manually amend her tax return. 

Please follow the steps below:

1. With her return open, search for stimulus with the magnifying glass tool on the top of the page.
2. Select the Jump to Stimulus in the search results to directly go to correct TurboTax page.
3. You will come to a page titled Let's double-check the amount you received and it will list the first-round and second-round payments based on her 2020 return.
4. Answer No for the question, Is this what you received? 
5. Enter the amounts of the first and second round stimulus payments she received ($0). I have attached a screenshot below for additional guidance. 

@jmartin2178

That did the trick! However, it worked for my taxes as I filled the previous year. 

For my daughter’s taxes it will not come up, yet I believe that is because we just sent in her 2019 tax information by mail and still waiting for it to be processed.?. Hopefully once the 2019 tax forms have been processed the stimulus option will appear when we go to amend her 2020 forms. 

I need to chat / talk with an agent

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@egouv wrote:

I need to chat / talk with an agent

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TurboTax does not have a chat option.

What is your question?

The fact that you forgot to claim your daughter does not help her get the Rebate Credit.

The box on her return says: "someone can claim me."

 To get the Rebate, she would have to file a false return.

Hi, I tried to follow provided steps to amend my 2020 return and claim Economic Impact Payment 2, but the magnifying glass gives me only articles, and no link to jump to stimulus forms.

TurboTax will not show you the stimulus page if you are not eligible.

The stimulus page comes up after Federal Review.

• Click on Federal in the left-hand column
• Click  Federal Review on the top of the screen
• On the next page you should see Let's make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click on Continue. If you do not, you are not eligible.

You are eligible for the second stimulus, generally, if you’re a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien, you may be eligible for $600 ($1,200 for a joint return), plus $600 for each qualifying child, if you (and your spouse if filing a joint return) aren’t a dependent of another taxpayer on a 2019 tax return, have a social security number (SSN) valid for employment (see exception when married filing joint) and your adjusted gross income (AGI) does not exceed:

• $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 status
• The rules for the first stimulus were similar.

Thank for your reply.

There is no "Federal" in the left-hand column

Stimulus questions didn't pop up,  I got through entire Federal amendment. 

I recently created an IRS account which shows that I was eligible for Economic Impact Payment 2, that I never received.

The qualifications for the first two stimulus payments are:

• you were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020,
• you were not a dependent of another taxpayer, and
• you have a Social Security number that is valid for employment.

There are income limitations are if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than:

• $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or filing as a qualifying widow or widower
• $112,500 if filing as head of household or
• $75,000 if filing as a single or as married filing separately. 

The stimulus payments were based upon 2018 or 2019 tax year information.  If you did not receive either of the first two stimulus payments, you may receive that amount through a Recovery Rebate Credit.  The credit was based upon 2020 tax information and can be found on line 30 of the 2020 Federal 1040 tax return.

You will need to go through the entire step by step process that you did when you did the original return.  If you qualified for the stimulus then the question regarding the stimulus popped up and you must have answered it incorrectly.  If you didn't qualify then the question never appears.

@mmdz 

„You will need to go through the entire step by step process that you did when you did the original return.”

I’d be happy to, but how do i do it? Amending process doesn’t let me…

You will use the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) to reconcile the stimulus payments received and any potential remaining amount to receive.  Once  you are in your TurboTax return for 2020 or 2021 follow the instructions below.

In TurboTax Online, to claim the Recovery Rebate credit please do the following:

1. Sign into your account and continue from where you left off
2. Click on Federal in the left-hand column, then on Federal Review on the top of the screen
3. On the next page titled Let's make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click on Continue
4. Follow the interview
5. TurboTax will determine whether you are entitled to any additional stimulus
6. Any stimulus amount remaining due to you will show as a credit on line 30 of your form 1040

@mmdz 

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I believe that steps that you're giving me assume that I'm working on my 2020 taxes for the first time. I'm trying amend it. As you can see on the attached picture there is no "Federal" in the left-hand column. I went through entire amendment process for Federal and wasn't prompted about stimulus. How can I get to fix my stimulus answers while amending a return?

This may help. Last year someone was trying to amend their 2020 return and had problems.  Here is their message: Resolved by searching for Jump to Recovery Rebate credit. 

From this discussion.

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately I tried that and when I search for stimulus or recovery rabate it gives me links to these articles, but no option to jump anywhere

If you are unable to amend and need assistance, please click here to contact us by phone. @mmdz 

I did reach out by phone and the support person also wasn't able to fix my Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet or trigger Turbo Tax to ask these questions again.
They advised that I can file the a $0 amendment with a comment explaining that there should be a recovery rebate credit and hope that IRS reads it and applies it for me. I doubt that's how IRS works.

All I need to do is to set ln 30 on my 1040-X and it sounds like it's impossible using Turbo Tax software and I'll have to buy a different software or file a paper amendment.

You can download a copy of your online tax file and use TurboTax CD/Download to amend your return. Contact support and tell them you need to amend your return with CD/Download because you are not able to do it with TurboTax Online.

To download your tax file, tap Tax Tools in the left column, then Tools. In the center box "Tools Center" select Save your 2022 return to your computer.

Once TurboTax is installed on your computer and you're opened your return, type amend in Search. Then Jump to amend.

If you are able to find the stimulus section,

1. Tap Forms in the top right.
2. In the left column, select Form 1040. Go to line 30.
3. Click on the box and tap the magnifying glass that will appear to the left. That will open the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet.

I just wasted another 45 minutes of my life on call with support so they can figure out that it's impossible in online version. I was told that I can manually fill these forms myself (outside of turbotax) or if I want a standalone version I have to BUY IT even though I already paid for an online version that is incapable of amending my return.

You can't amend a 2020 tax return in the Online version - you will be sent a link to the desktop software to install and complete the amendment.   Online only does amendments for the current year.  When you sign in to your Online account and scroll down - you have to choose Amend next to your 2020 return.    On your Tax Home page, scroll down to Your Tax Returns and Documents.   Then go to tax year 2020.    @mmdz 

This is incorrect. Online does support amending 2020 return, it just doesn't prompt me to update stimulus stuff. And I would gladly get a link for a standalone version, but support people told me I would need to buy it (without confidence that it will be able to update the field that I need to update).