Anonymous
Not applicable

Can I be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit if I was separated in 2019, filed married filing jointly, but lived on my salary which qualifies me for stimulus checks?

Bc taxes were completed married filing jointly - income was too high to qualify (200k ) - but I only lived on my salary in 2019 (64k) - so is it possible to qualify for the recovery credit even though my 2019 tax return would not reflect that
DMarkM1
Employee Tax Expert

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Possibly.  The Recovery Rebate Credit is based on your 2020 tax return information.  The AGI on your 2020 tax return is what will be used to determine your eligibility for the credit. 

 

If you were married on 31 Dec 2020, you are considered married for the tax year so you would be filing as "Married Filing Separately."  

 

Taxpayers filing as "Married Filing Separately" in community property states follow the state laws for determining income to report on the returns.  Normally, all community income, such as wages, is combined and then split 50/50.

 

The community property states are:  Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

 

If you are filing in another state you will only report your income on your return.  

 

 

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Get your taxes done using TurboTax

I was divorced by feb 2020, but i have been living on just my salary since Jan 2019.

JamesG1
Employee Tax Expert

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You may apply for the Recovery Rebate Credit if you filed married filing separately, head of household or single filing statuses.

 

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

 

You will enter the amounts that only you received for stimulus payment 1 and stimulus payment 2.

 

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 can 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.

See also this TurboTax Help.

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