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New Member
posted Jan 31, 2021 11:17:21 AM

Stay at home mom in 2019-2020, File to get second stimulus?

In 2018 my daughter had income and filed taxes so she got the first round of stimulus payments.  In 2019 she did not have any income and did not file taxes, so she did NOT get the second stimulus payment.  

For 2020, again no income so she normally wouldn't  need to file however, should she file with $0.00 income and answer the question about stimulus payment received being $0.00 so then she would get that second payment?

She is a stay at home mom, her boyfriend has worked a little and is claiming head of household and claiming both kids/dependents.  That is why my daughter is not claiming the kids either. 

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2 Replies
Expert Alumni
Jan 31, 2021 11:34:46 AM

Yes,  she should file a 2020 tax return to get the Recovery Rebate Credit which, in her situation, would be the second stimulus payment amount.  She should put in a $1 of interest income to enable the filing in TurboTax. 

 

Here is a link that has more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit.  

Level 15
Jan 31, 2021 11:50:16 AM

A stay at home mom with no income? She may qualify as her BF's "Qualifying relative" dependent, in which case, she would not be eligible for a rebate credit, on her own tax return.

 

There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and standard ("Qualifying Relative" in IRS parlance even though they don't have to actually be related).   A person can still be a Qualifying relative dependent, if not a Qualifying Child, if he meets the 6 tests for claiming a dependent:

  1. Closely Related OR live with the taxpayer ALL year
  2. His/her gross taxable income for the year must be less than $4300 (2020).
  3. The taxpayer (BF) must have provided more than 1/2 his support

In either case:

  1. He must be a US citizen or resident of the US, Canada or Mexico
  2. He must not file a joint return with his spouse or be claiming a dependent of his own
  3. He must not be the qualifying child of another taxpayer