Not received any payments - do I claim full amount in 2022?

[Taxdragon29]

On my 2020 tax return, I claimed my two children as dependents. In 2021, i received stimulus payments only for myself, not for my children. Called the IRS and was told I would have to claim the payments on my 2021 return. I also have not received any tax credit payments so far. My kids are 13 and 15 and eligible. 
why do I not get the payments (IRS could not tell me why or how to change it, just told me this happens occasionally?? and to claim the amount on my next return), and does this affect the amount I would have gotten if I had received the payments in 2021?

[candaceat]

Hi Taxdragon29! 

Sorry to hear that you are missing your stimulus payments for both of your children. That's definitely worth looking into if you feel that you are eligible. The good news is that when you called the IRS they seemed to agree that you were eligible!

On the 2020 tax return there was a provision called the Recovery Rebate Credit. That credit was for people that did not receive the correct stimulus amount. If you did not get the credit on your 2020 return you can try to amend your return to receive that credit. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know why you didn't receive it but some common reasons are an error on the return indicating that you couldn't claim your children (like mistakenly saying they didn't live with you) or someone else tried to claim them. Try to look over your return for any possible errors. You can also try to use this link on the IRS website to find out more about your stimulus payments: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

I hope this helps. And don't worry. Not receiving the correct amount doesn't affect your eligibility this year. 

[JandKit]

Hi Taxdragon29

My apology for this late reply,

I am sorry to hear that you were not able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 tax return.

It is unusual that the additional amount was not given to you at filing. It is possible that there is something answered incorrectly in your 2020 tax return that needs to be corrected. If that is the case, you would certainly want to amend your 2020 tax return to correct the mistake so that you may receive the additional credit. Please consider giving us a call so that we may address this issue with you in hopes of correcting the problem.

This issue cannot be corrected, as of yet, by filing in 2021.

 

[VolvoGirl]

@Taxdragon29   Are you only asking about the 2021 payments or for 2020 too?  Did you get the first and second stimulus payments for 2020 for you and the kids?  If you didn't, it should have been added on your 2020 return line 30 for the Recovery Rebate credit.  Did you get it?  Check your 1040 line 30.  Otherwise you need to amend your 2020 return.  But it sounds like you are not asking about the 2020 stimulus payments. 

If you are only asking about the 3rd Stimulus Check that went out in 2021 - yes if you didn't get it you can claim it on your 2021 return if you qualify (if your income isn't too high).  Same for the Child Tax Credit.