Does anyone know what to do about the stimulus payment when filing a deceased taxpayer's tax return? It appears it was mailed out, but I can't find any deposit.

[JamesG1]

The IRS Get My Payment Tool may be helpful.  Does a bank account still exist that a stimulus payment can be deposited into?

If you have not received one or both of the stimulus checks, you will receive the payment in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit on line 30 of your 2020 Federal tax return when you file.  The deceased may qualify. 

See IRS under Will a deceased taxpayer receive the payment?

A payment won’t be issued to someone who has died before January 1, 2020. If you filed a joint return in 2019 and your spouse died before January 1, 2020, you won’t receive a $600 payment for your deceased spouse, but you will still be issued up to $600 for you and $600 for any qualifying children, if all other eligibility criteria are met.

Regarding eligible individuals who died in 2020, the Recovery Rebate Credit may be claimed on line 30 of their 2020 tax return.  Please refer to the instructions for the 2020 Form 1040 for more information.

If you have not received your second stimulus check, you will receive your payment in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit on line 30 of your 2020 Federal tax return when you file.

TurboTax will compare your one or two stimulus payment amounts to the computations within TurboTax.  The computations within TurboTax are based upon the information that you have entered into the tax software.  If you are due an additional amount, it will be issued as a Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on line 30 of the 2020 1040 tax return.

In TurboTax Online, you are prompted to input stimulus check 1 and stimulus check 2 information under Review down the left hand side of the screen.

You can access your stimulus check choices by following these steps: 

• Down the left side of the screen, click on Federal.
• Across the top of the screen, click on Other Tax Situations.
• At the screen Let’s keep going to wrap up.  Click on Let’s keep going.
• At the screen Let’s make sure you got the right stimulus amount, click Continue.
• At the screen Did you get a stimulus payment? you can update your stimulus check entries. 

See also this TurboTax Help.

[vtdeerhunter]

Thank you. The IRS Get My Payment Tool indicates "We scheduled payment to be mailed on 5/15/20...."

After reviewing his bank statements, I do not see where it was deposited if he received it. 

I assume it could have been cashed or not delivered even though I received his 2019 refund check shortly before he died. 

Is there a way to find out if the check was cashed?

If I say he didn't receive it, will the IRS check to be sure when I file the return? 

[JamesG1]

Only the IRS will know whether a check was issued and cashed.

IRS live telephone assistance is limited at this time.  For stimulus payment questions, call 800-919-9835.  You may need to provide some proof that you are authorized to manage the business affairs for the deceased.

I expect the IRS to scrutinize stimulus payments that were issued against the tax returns that claim the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC).  This is what the IRS calls the stimulus payments that are issued through the 2020 Federal tax return.

[mcaptain]

Father-in-law passed away a week before receiving the first stimulus check, he was single and not claimable as a dependent.  So after researching some IRS questions on what to do with the check we returned (did not cash, sent original check) it to the IRS.  Did not receive the second stimulus.  When trying to complete his tax return it does not look like there is an option of not claiming the stimulus money even though he is deceased, did something change and it does not matter when he passed away in 2020, he was/is still eligible for the stimulus money?  Hope this makes sense.

[DMarkM1]

A taxpayer who died after 1 January 2020 is eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 tax return.  The credit is only based on 2020 tax return information. 

So if your Father-in-law's return shows that he is filing single with an AGI less than $75,000, he will be eligible for all stimulus payments (1200 and 600).  Since the 1200 payment was returned, his tax return would indicate that he did not receive any stimulus payments.

An $1800 credit will correctly be added to his tax return.  

Here is a link with more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit.  See questions B1, B2 and B12.