Does a surviving spouses (husband died in 2018) need to file a 2019 return to get the CARES stimulus check?

[KatrinaB48]

No, the IRS can use your 2018 tax return information to send your qualifying stimulus payment. Please view this IRS link for more information. 

[GB2010]

I've reviewed the IRS website/guidance and it doesn't indicate how the spouse will get the payment if the return was filed in the deceased spouse's name, and how much the stimulus check will be (i.e. will the deceased spouse be the Payee?).  I presume the amount will be for the $1,200 limit specified for Single taxpayers, but I can't find anywhere that provides clear guidance.

[ReginaM]

No, your deceased spouse is not eligible for the Stimulus payment.  The IRS states that U.S. residents will receive the Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 for individual or head of household filers, and $2,400 for married filing jointly if they are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a work eligible Social Security number.  

Your deceased spouse's social security number is removed from use when your spouse passed away.  

[Kmic]

Nope not true. My husband was on SSDI and passed April 20,2019. 
I filed married filing jointly for 2019. That’s the law - I can file that way for two years following my spouse’s death. 
On the top of my electronically filed 1040 it says that one taxpayer was deceased with his date of death. 
I just checked my bank account - I was credited 2400. 
my husband was on SSDI - Medicare and died in a hospice center. 
so no.  His social security number wasn’t scrubbed. 
Now what? I won’t spend it. 
how does this get fixed???

[Freedomthrujesus]

Actually, I know widows who DID receive a stimulus check for their deceased spouse. 

[HEFFE004]

I have the same scenario as Kmic. My husband was receiving SS benefits and Medicare. He passed away in November. SS knows and Medicare knows but clearly the IRS didn't get the memo. We received a stimulus deposit of $2400. Now what do I do? 

[themrz]

My husband passed in 2018. When I filed in 2019, he was marked deceased. I received a payment for him today. He had wages, not on SS, etc. But clearly marked deceased. There is no info on the IRS website either. Not spending the money, but for how long should I keep it before knowing the IRS isn't going to come back for it, with interest...

[Anonymous]

My husband died in 2019.  And, I just received a Stimulus check for both him and myself.  So, I will be putting his portion away until they ask for it back

[DMarkM1]

The CARES Act says when you file your 2020 return if your qualification status has changed you will get any extra amounts that you did not qualify for this year.  Further, if you qualify for less when you file your 2020 return the difference will be forgiven.  So you can save until after 2020 tax filing to be safe/sure.  

[Lindleyd]

And yet... we just received payments for my late mother-in-law (deceased 1/19, and I notified the IRS of her passing as well when I filed her 2018 taxes) and brother-in-law (passed away 3/14/20, but social security has def already been notified). The systems on the federal side do not appear to be communicating well...

[slbs12139531]

For those who are not required to file a return - those receiving only SS benefits -, how do they report a changed qualifying status?  Should they report it to the IRS?  Since they aren't required to file a 2020 return, how can they know when it's safe/sure to no longer save the money?

[DMarkM1]

If you are not required to file a tax return for tax year 2020, then you don't need to file. Changing qualifications for a credit is not a reason to file, unless you want to file to receive additional stimulus payments.   

[slbs12139531]

Thank you for your assistance with this issue.  It would seem the system isn't setup to account for overpayments or a method to report the overpayment if a spouse passed in 2018 or 2019.

[Kmic]

Question:

I notified the IRS via my 1040 tax return - using the law that allows me to file married filing jointly for two years. 
my filing status will not change for the two years following my husbands death. 
Your answer is rather confusing. 
Filing a tax return for 2020 - will I have to say again that my spouse is deceased - and the deceased date written across the top of my 1040 form?