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Tax Year Prior to 2020: Do I need to file for the stimulus check

 
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3 Replies
JohnW222
Expert Alumni

Tax Year Prior to 2020: Do I need to file for the stimulus check

You'll need to file for stimulus relief if you haven't filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return and don't receive Social Security income.  That said, please read the rest of this post.

The IRS will calculate and automatically send the economic impact payment to those eligible, with no action required for most people

For people who have already filed their 2019 tax returns, the IRS will use this information to calculate and distribute the payment amount.

For those who have not yet filed their return for 2019, the IRS will use information from their 2018 tax filing to calculate and distribute the payment.

The IRS urges anyone who has not filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019 but is required to do so to file as soon as they can and to elect to receive their refund via direct deposit, in order to receive an economic impact payment as quickly as possible.  Those who will not receive a refund are still encouraged to file their 2019 tax return to provide the most up-to-date information to the IRS, but this is not necessary if you filed a 2018 return.

If you qualify for a stimulus payment and are not required to file a tax return, and do not receive Social Security income, you can e-file your IRS registration for free with TurboTax to receive your stimulus payment with TurboTax's Stimulus Registration for non-filers.

See any updates at TurboTax’s Your trusted resource for tax information updates during COVID-19 page, and the IRS’s Coronavirus Tax Relief page.

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Tax Year Prior to 2020: Do I need to file for the stimulus check

I haven't filed my taxes since 2016. Will I still be eligible for the 2020 stimulus check? If so how will they contact me with no up to date information?

VictorW9
Expert Alumni

Tax Year Prior to 2020: Do I need to file for the stimulus check

You will need to have filed taxes for either 2018 or 2019 to be eligible for the stimulus checks. However, recipients on social security who never had to file taxes will be eligible to receive stimulus checks under the program.

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