2021 Stimulus check received for deceased spouse

[Hoey]

My mother received a second stimulus check in 2021 after my father passed away. Will she need to refund it?

[HelenC12]

It depends when your father passed away. According to the IRS, your father was not eligible for the second round of Economic Impact Payments if he passed away before 2020. 

He would have been eligible if he was a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien, has a social security number (SSN) valid for employment (see exception when married filing joint) and your their adjusted gross income (AGI) does not exceed:

• $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower;
• $112,500 if filing as head of household; or
• $75,000 for eligible individuals using any other filing status.

To read the IRS Questions and Answers about the Second Economic Impact Payment, click here and scroll down to Eligibility. 

If you need to return the payment, scroll down to Returning the Second Economic Impact Payment. 

[Hoey]

My father passed away in February 2021.

[DianeW777 · Accepted solution]

According to the IRS FAQs: 

If you can't cash or deposit the payment on behalf of any other individual who died in 2021:

• Return the check as described in What should I do to return an Economic Impact Payment that was received as a direct deposit or a pap...?

The IRS says that a stimulus payment made to someone who died before receiving it should be returned to the government. The entire payment should be returned, unless it was made payable to joint filers and one spouse is still alive. In this case return only the portion for the deceased spouse.

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