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Level 2
posted Jan 30, 2021 5:17:21 PM

2020 Taxes - Claim First and Second Stimulus Check based on 2020 income not 2019 return

My wife and my income was higher in 2019 due to a severance package we received. In 2020, we made well under the $150k threshold and never received the first or second stimulus check. I purchased turbo tax 2020 and don't see a way to claim/recover the stimulus payments. Any advice/experience on how we can get it?

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1 Best answer
Level 15
Jan 30, 2021 6:16:45 PM

 

If you did not receive your first and/or second stimulus payment or if the amount received is not correct, you can claim it on your 2020 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit. You can e-file your return even if you have no taxable income.

                       

In TurboTax Online, to claim the Recovery Rebate credit please do the following:

  1. Sign into your account and continue from where you left off
  2. Click on Federal in the left-hand column, then on Federal Review on the top of the screen
  3. On the next page titled Let's make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click on Continue
  4. Follow the interview
  5. TurboTax will determine whether you are entitled to any additional stimulus
  6. Any stimulus amount remaining due to you will show as a credit on line 30 of your form 1040.

18 Replies
Level 10
Jan 30, 2021 5:45:00 PM

There is not an option to use your 2019 income to claim stimulus payments.  The option that you are referring to is for people who did not have enough earned income in 2020 to qualify for the Earned Income Credit.

That happened to many people who were collecting unemployment instead of wages in 2020.  Unemployment is not earned income, so they did not qualify for the earned income limit with their 2020 income.  The government gives them an opportunity to file using their 2019 earned income if that gives them a better result on their 2020 taxes.

Level 2
Jan 30, 2021 6:15:40 PM

Hi Mary,

 

Thank you for you post. Our 2019 income did not qualify us for the stimulus payment as that is what the fed govt used to calculate our income. However, our earned income for 2020 would qualify us (we did not collect unemployment).  Would this qualify us for the stimulus payment?

Level 15
Jan 30, 2021 6:16:45 PM

 

If you did not receive your first and/or second stimulus payment or if the amount received is not correct, you can claim it on your 2020 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit. You can e-file your return even if you have no taxable income.

                       

In TurboTax Online, to claim the Recovery Rebate credit please do the following:

  1. Sign into your account and continue from where you left off
  2. Click on Federal in the left-hand column, then on Federal Review on the top of the screen
  3. On the next page titled Let's make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click on Continue
  4. Follow the interview
  5. TurboTax will determine whether you are entitled to any additional stimulus
  6. Any stimulus amount remaining due to you will show as a credit on line 30 of your form 1040.

Level 2
Jan 30, 2021 6:44:25 PM

Thank you!  I bought turbo tax deluxe and found the ability to claim it on the federal review portion.  Odd place but makes my day!!

Level 1
Feb 22, 2021 12:32:13 PM

Where did you find in the TurboTax Delux as I'm not finding anything to walk me through the stimulus information?  I'm owed money from the 1st stimulus as it was based off of 2018 taxes instead of 2019.  I received the 2nd check. 

Expert Alumni
Feb 22, 2021 1:33:58 PM

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 can 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. 

See also this TurboTax Help.

Level 3
Mar 6, 2021 10:27:47 AM

i had thought the stimulus payment is based on AGI of 2019 instead of 2020.  My 2019 AGI is below $150K and my 2020 AGI is above 160K.  Turbo tax uses the 2020 AGI thus my stimulus is lower. 

Which is the correct AGI the IRS uses 2019 or 2020

If using 2019, how do i correct it in TT. ?

Employee Tax Expert
Mar 6, 2021 11:55:34 AM

The Recovery Rebate Credit is calculated based on your 2020 income because the stimulus payments were based on 2019 income (or the last return filed). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of taxpayers lost income in the year of 2020 and did not qualify based on their 2019 (or earlier) financial situation. Basing the Recovery Rebate Credit on 2020 income ensures that if their financial situation changed and are now eligible, then they would still get assistance. 

 

@sr3333

Returning Member
Apr 25, 2021 8:09:03 AM

How to claim first and second stimulus payment and did turbo tax claim it on 2020 tax return

Level 15
Apr 25, 2021 8:45:04 AM

If you did not get the first 2 stimulus payments and you have already filed a 2020 return with nothing on line 30 of the form 1040  then once the original return has fully processed and you have the original refund in hand you can amend the return to add the missing credit. 

New Member
Feb 21, 2022 12:02:57 AM

In 2020 I never received $600 or my $1200 dollar stimulus checks, they should've of went my social security account. the third stimulus went to my account.

Level 15
Feb 21, 2022 12:06:23 AM

Then you need to amend your 2020 return to claim it or file a 2020 return.   The $1,800 (1200+600) goes on 1040 line 30.  See if it's already there.

New Member
Jun 6, 2024 8:38:11 AM

I did not receive the first two stimulus payments of $1200 and $600 for my wife and I.  So the recovery rebate amount should be $3,600 on the 2020 income tax return.  The IRS is saying that is wrong.  Does anybody have any documentation that the credit should be $3,600?

 

Thanks.

Level 15
Jun 6, 2024 8:44:54 AM


@jackiegirl99 wrote:

I did not receive the first two stimulus payments of $1200 and $600 for my wife and I.  So the recovery rebate amount should be $3,600 on the 2020 income tax return.  The IRS is saying that is wrong.  Does anybody have any documentation that the credit should be $3,600?

 

Thanks.


An amended 2020 tax return for the Recovery Rebate Credit had to be filed on or before May 17, 2024.  Any 2020 tax return or 2020 amended tax return filed after that date will not receive any type of refund.

New Member
Jun 6, 2024 8:48:01 AM

I filed for the $3,600 recovery rebate on my original return filed.  The IRS says that is wrong.

Level 15
Jun 6, 2024 9:01:17 AM


@jackiegirl99 wrote:

I filed for the $3,600 recovery rebate on my original return filed.  The IRS says that is wrong.


The amount for EIP1 is $1,200 and for EIP2 is $600 for each of you.  Since the IRS is questioning the Recovery Rebate Credit you filed on the 2020 tax return, you need to check the Online Account for each of you to see if the IRS issued the payments.

Go to this IRS website for the Online Account - https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-individual-online-account

Level 15
Jun 6, 2024 3:43:12 PM

Your eligibility for the stimulus money—-now available as the recovery rebate credit— will depend on your circumstances in 2020 and/or 2021.   If you could be claimed as someone else’s dependent in 2020 or 2021, you are not eligible for the recovery rebate credit now.

 

 

 The first stimulus checks were issued in 2020; the first one was for $1200 for adults and $500 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.   The IRS was in a hurry to send out those checks so they sometimes used information from your 2019 return to send out the check.  Or sometimes they sent it after you filed your 2020 return.

 

 

The second stimulus was sent in late 2020 or early 2021; that one was $600 per adult and $600 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.

 

The 3rd stimulus check was $1400 for adults and $1400 for any dependent you claimed, and was sent out in 2021.

 

 

If you did not receive the first or second stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2020 return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.   The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

 

If you did not receive the 3rd stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2021 tax return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.    The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

 

Check your own bank account for deposits of the stimulus checks, and check your online account with the IRS to see what the IRS shows they sent to you.

 

 

Try checking your online account with the IRS (and if you filed a joint return—check for BOTH of you)

 

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

 

 

 

If you need to trace a payment that the IRS says has been issued to you, mail or fax a completed IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.

Level 15
Jun 12, 2024 7:07:35 AM

Your eligibility for the stimulus money—-now available as the recovery rebate credit— will depend on your circumstances in 2020 and/or 2021.   If you could be claimed as someone else’s dependent in 2020 or 2021, you are not eligible for the recovery rebate credit now.

 

 

 The first stimulus checks were issued in 2020; the first one was for $1200 for adults and $500 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.   The IRS was in a hurry to send out those checks so they sometimes used information from your 2019 return to send out the check.  Or sometimes they sent it after you filed your 2020 return.

 

 

The second stimulus was sent in late 2020 or early 2021; that one was $600 per adult and $600 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.

 

The 3rd stimulus check was $1400 for adults and $1400 for any dependent you claimed, and was sent out in 2021.

 

 

If you did not receive the first or second stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2020 return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.   The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

 

If you did not receive the 3rd stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2021 tax return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.    The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

 

Check your own bank account for deposits of the stimulus checks, and check your online account with the IRS to see what the IRS shows they sent to you.

 

 

Try checking your online account with the IRS (and if you filed a joint return—check for BOTH of you)

 

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

 

 

 

If you need to trace a payment that the IRS says has been issued to you, mail or fax a completed IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.