Resident Alien Eligibility (Economic Impact Payment)

[yguooo]

Hi all, I am an international student who became a tax resident in July 2019. So I was doing my tax return as a tax resident last year and this year. According to Turbotax and IRS website, it seems to me that I should be eligible for the EIP "A person who is a qualifying resident alien with an SSN valid for employment is eligible for the payment only if he or she is a qualifying resident alien in 2020."

( https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-first-economic-impact-payment-topic-a-e....)

However, my status in "get my payment" from IRS is always "not available" for the last year. And my call to IRS is never completed. I am wondering if there is any way to contact the IRS and have my status properly updated? Or is submitting the tax rebate along with the tax return the only way to get the missing payment? 

[JamesG1]

You will have to file a 2020 Federal 1040 income tax return to receive a Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) for your stimulus payments.

What visa classification do you have?  Did you file a 2019 Federal 1040 income tax return and report under a Social Security number?  If you did not file a 2019 1040 tax return, the IRS would not have had information about you and would not have issued either of the first two stimulus checks.   

I think that you are quoting from the same qualifications for the second stimulus here.

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) are not a dependent of another taxpayer on a 2019 tax return, have a social security number (SSN) valid for employment 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

Your payment will be reduced by 5% of the amount by which your AGI exceeds the applicable threshold above.

You aren’t eligible for a payment if any of the following apply to you:

• You were claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s 2019 tax return (for example, a child or student who may be claimed on a parent’s tax return or a dependent parent who may be claimed on an adult child’s tax return).
• You don’t have an SSN that is valid for employment issued before the due date of your 2019 tax return (including any extensions).
• You’re a nonresident alien.
• Someone was deceased before 2020.
• Are an estate or trust.

However, you may be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on line 30 of your 2020 tax return. Please refer to the instructions for the 2020 Form 1040 for more information.

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.

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.

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.

[yguooo]

I am in F1 visa, and I did file my 1040 under the ssn for my 2019 tax return. But for some reason, IRS never updated my "get my payment" status. Right turbotax tax marked me as eligible for the RRC. I just hope I can get my third payment in time instead of having to fille the RRC next year.  

[JamesG1]

@yguooo

It sounds like you qualify on the basis of your 2019 Federal 1040 tax return.

If you did not receive the first two stimulus payments, you may not receive the third stimulus payment either.

As I explained above, you will have to request the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on line 30 of the 2020 1040 tax return.

That tax return will also notify the IRS of your current mailing address and banking information.

However, we do not know how quickly the IRS will be able to update the information on a 2020 tax return that is filed today.  See this TurboTax Help.

Why is the IRS Get My Payment tool showing bank account information that is different from my 2020 tax return?

The IRS is using a taxpayer’s last processed tax return (either 2019 or 2020) to determine eligibility and where to send stimulus payments. Their stimulus payment will likely go to the bank account where their last tax refund was deposited. For those who didn’t have a refund or didn’t choose direct deposit for their refund, the stimulus payment may be sent by check. 

Best wishes.