I got married in 2020, Will my stimulus amount be modified when I file 2020 taxes?

[KMCNALLY2020]

I got married in 2020, after myself and my then girlfriend received stimulus checks. She got $1200, I got $238. Now that we will file a joint return for 2020,  will I receive the difference? In addition, I have a child that I did not claim for 2019, as his other parent got to claim him for 2019. I get to claim him for 2020, will I receive a $500.00 credit for him?

[xmasbaby0]

It is not clear why you did not receive the entire $1200 stimulus---unless you owed back child support.  Your stimulus check could be seized if you owed child support.  If that is the reason, then, no, you will not receive the difference later.   You mention having a child with someone else, so it sounds like that could be what happened to your stimulus check.

We do not know the details of how you and the other parent are claiming your child.  As far as the IRS is concerned the custodial parent--the one the child lives with or spends at least 183 nights with--is the one who can claim the child as a dependent.  If you have a signed form 8332 between you and the other parent, then the custodial parent can still file as Head of Household, get earned income credit and the childcare credit; the non-custodial parent gets the child tax credit.  How the IRS will determine which one of you gets the stimulus $ in 2020 remains to be seen.

[KMCNALLY2020]

Thanks for the response. I didn’t get the full 1200 because I made too much money as a single person (I got what I expected to get). But had I filed married for 2019, we would have been eligible for $2400. Since we were married in 2020, and will file a joint return for 2020, I wondered if we would get an adjustment. As for my son, I have an agreement in my divorce decree that me and my former spouse alternate claiming our son. 2020 will be my year to claim him.