Do I qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit (stimulus checks)? Turbo Tax says "yes," but I'm not so sure.

[orangeandbrew]

 My wife and I filed separately for 2019, and both of our AGIs were above the max income  to receive a stimulus check for our filing status.  However, I retired and my wife's income dropped at the end of 2019.  We are filing jointly for 2020.  Our joint AGI for 2020 does meet the guidelines to receive all of the Recovery Rebate Credit.  We have no dependents and have not received any stimulus checks.

The RRC worksheet is using our 2020 AGI to justify the credit, but, I thought all of these stimulus checks were based on 2019 AGI.  So, am I eligible for the credit?

[MinhT1 · Accepted solution]

In fact, the stimulus payments are advanced payments of the Recovery Rebate Credit which is a tax credit against your 2020 income tax. And your eligibility is based on your 2020 income.

If your 2020 income makes you eligible and you did not receive the stimulus payments, you can claim them as the Recovery Rebate credit on your 2020 tax return.

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.