Is there an option to apply for the Recovery Rebate Credit due to amended return, but Turbo Tax believes I got the correct amount and forces me to next screen?

[aaroncee226]

On my 2020 returns, I accidentally filed Single, instead of Head of Household. I amended my return, but IRS is still processing it. They issued stimulus checks based off of AGI for Single, rather than HOH.

After entering check amounts TurboTax says "We crunched the numbers and the amount you received looks right" and then it pushes me to the next screen. Is there an option for me to basically disagree and apply for the Recovery Rebate Credit?

*Corrected year of return

[ThomasM125]

The stimulus payments are calculated based on your tax return for 2020, not 2019. On your 2020 tax return you enter how much stimulus money you received, and if that is what is should have been based on what you entered on you 2020 tax return, then no additional stimulus payments will be due you.

If you had received more stimulus that you were entitled to based on your 2019 tax return, you would not be required to pay back the amount you received in error.

So, you need to ignore what happened in 2019, just see if everything is correct based on your 2020 tax return. 

[aaroncee226]

Thank you for the quick reply. The amount of the stimulus checks I received would have been correct if I were still claiming Single, since I would have been over the AGI. With amending my return to HOH, the AGI limitation went up, which I was well under.

If I understand correctly, wouldn't I have been eligible for the full amount had the IRS processed the amended return before they began to issue stimulus payments? If so,  shouldn't I be able to claim a credit for the difference?

[ThomasM125]

You are correct in that if the IRS had processed your amended return before you received your stimulus checks, you would have received whatever was due you based on that return. However, you cannot claim a credit for the difference.

The stimulus payments are calculated based on your 2020 tax return entries. The automatic payments were sent out based on what was on your 2019 tax return. If you ended up getting more stimulus than would be allowable on the 2020 return based on your 2019 return entries, you won't have to pay anything back. However, you cannot adjust your stimulus by amending a 2019 return now, whatever amendments that were reported but not processed by the time the automatic payments went out will not be considered after the automatic payments have gone out.