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Level 2
January 24, 2021
Question

Mixed-status family second stimulus payment question

  • January 24, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 2 views

Greetings all,

My question might be very easy or somewhat complex to answer. My wife and I have not received the second stimulus and I'd like to see if were both eligible. No kids. I've search all over Google and can't find exactly what I'm looking for. In summary, my wife and I moved to China in 2019 after many years in the US. She has a SSN and we file jointly. We received the first stimulus in May 2020. At the end of 2019 my wife voluntarily gave up her green card, but we still filed jointly (by mail, with explanation letter, as required by Turbotax.) We have not received the second stimulus and the IRS website says no information available. With our unique situation (wife no GC, so a non-resident alien, but DOES have SSN and we DO file jointly) I just wanted to know if I alone, or we both, or none of us qualify for the second stimulus. Thanks for your help! Canrun1975

1 reply

KathrynG3
Level 14
January 25, 2021

Assuming you are a U.S. Citizen and only your wife is a nonresident alien who also has a Social Security Number, you could still qualify for the second stimulus payment.

 

As you found, the guidance on the second payment is unclear for your status. We are still waiting on the IRS to clarify a number of points. For more information, please refer to: Questions and Answers about the Second Economic Impact Payment which is still getting updates. 

 

To check your payment status with the IRS, go to: Get My Payment Link

 

If you should have qualified for the second economic stimulus payment, then the Recovery Rebate Credit will be calculated on the 2020 Tax Return. TurboTax will calculate this automatically based on what is reported in the program. If it is not included, then the requirements were not met.

 

To calculate the Recovery Rebate Credit yourself, go to Form 1040 and 1040-SR Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet.

Level 2
January 25, 2021

Thank you very much for the reply! It's quite helpful. Yes, I am a US citizen and my wife is a non-resident alien with a SSN as of 2020. We file jointly.  I will do as you suggest and keep my eyes open regarding clarification. Hopefully by the time I do taxes in late February/early March things will be more clear, but for now I'll assume we do both qualify unless I learn something different. Thanks again! -[removed]

Level 2
February 5, 2021

Hi, I've not been able to find anything online in the past two weeks regarding my question. Still no check from the IRS or information on the portal. Would anyone be able to shed any new light on my situation, or should I just go ahead and claim a $1,200 refund on my taxes when I file in a few weeks? Thank you for any updated help!