How do I get the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit if I already filed the 2020 return without adding it?

[phamv]

I filed my 2020 tax return and it was accepted already. However, I didn't realize that TurboTax had the option to fill out line 30 for the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit and I had already filed. How do I get the recovery rebate tax credit even though i've already turned my forms in?

[KathrynG3]

The Recovery Rebate Credit is used if the first and/or second stimulus checks were not correct. 

The only way to add this credit is to file an amended return. First, wait for the notification that the IRS has accepted your return. Once the return has been accepted, you can begin the amendment.

To do this, open your return. You will be on Tax Home. Follow these steps:

• Scroll down to Your taxes & documents and Show.
• Select 2020. Select Amend(change) my return and follow the prompts to make adjustments.

For more details, see: How do I amend my 2020 TurboTax Online return?

[phamv]

Thank you for your reply. How would I add the Recovery Rebate Credit on the amended return? Will TurboTax prompt it when I try to amend it on there? I'm afraid to start it because I don't know if it'll give me the option.

[DoninGA]

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@phamv wrote:

Thank you for your reply. How would I add the Recovery Rebate Credit on the amended return? Will TurboTax prompt it when I try to amend it on there? I'm afraid to start it because I don't know if it'll give me the option.

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You can start the amended tax return.  Once started enter stimulus in the Search box located in the upper right of the online program screen.  Click on Jump to stimulus.  Answer the question about receiving the stimulus payments and continue with this section until it completes.

[JotikaT2]

Once you start the amended return, you will be able to edit your input and add the Recovery Rebate Credit input as follows:

1. In the Federal section, select the Federal Review interview section at the top of the screen.
2. This will take you to the input section for the Recovery Rebate credit.
3. Be sure to indicate the actual amount of each stimulus payment you received on the page that asks if you received a stimulus payment. 
4. There will be two boxes and both need to be completed.  If you did not receive any stimulus payments, please indicate We didn't get a stimulus payment by checking that box.

[cxiao]

The stimulus question form under federal  review form doesn't show up when you  amend

[NCperson]

Can I ask how you think you made the error in the first place?  Why do you think you are due a Recovery Credit? 

Line 30 is automatically calculated.  If you correctly listed your dependents, your income and entered the two stimulus payments that you received, then Line 30 should be correct.   

You may be going through a lot of work for nothing. 

[sthompson24]

Can you please tell me is possible to get stimulus checks for my baby born in 2020? Does that need to be added on the recovery rebate credit? I've already filed and it's been accepted. Would I need to amend it?

[Opus 17]

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@sthompson24 wrote:

Can you please tell me is possible to get stimulus checks for my baby born in 2020? Does that need to be added on the recovery rebate credit? I've already filed and it's been accepted. Would I need to amend it?

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The recovery rebate is calculated based on the number of qualifying dependents you claim on your tax return. It is added by Turbotax automatically, and you have to take specific steps to remove it, so it is likely you already claimed whatever you were eligible for.  (The rebate lowered your tax owed or increased your refund, it is not a separate check.)

If the child was born during 2020 and not subject to a custody dispute between parents who are divorced or separated, then you should have indicated the child lived with you "all year" even if they were born in the middle of the year.  Answering this incorrectly might prevent you from claiming the additional rebate, and it would also prevent you from claiming the $2000 child tax credit, you would only qualify for the $500 "other dependent" credit.

Print a copy of your tax return.  Make sure the dependent is listed on the front and the box is checked for the $2000 credit.  Then check line 30, that is the amount of rebate you claimed.  It should be equal to what you qualified for, minus what you already received.  For example, if you are single or head of household and claim 2 dependents, your maximum rebate would be $4000.  (Round 1, $1200 for adult, $500 for each dependent under age 17; round 2, $600 for each adult and dependent under age 17).  If you received stimulus checks of $1700 and $1200, your remaining rebate to claim on your tax return would be $1100.

If your dependent is not correctly listed as qualified, you can file an amended return to claim the child tax credit and rebate you missed out on.  If your dependent is correctly listed, Turbotax will have automatically claimed any rebates you were entitled to on top of any stimulus checks you received. 

[sthompson24]

Thank you for responding! I do see the child tax credit added. I don't see any amount next to the recovery rebate credit on line 30. I remember being asked if we received our stimulus checks and we said yes but I don't think we input any amount. Also, what we received didn't include anything for our baby born in 2020. Is there supposed to be an amount on line 30? 

[Opus 17]

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@sthompson24 wrote:

Thank you for responding! I do see the child tax credit added. I don't see any amount next to the recovery rebate credit on line 30. I remember being asked if we received our stimulus checks and we said yes but I don't think we input any amount. Also, what we received didn't include anything for our baby born in 2020. Is there supposed to be an amount on line 30? 

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I don't know your situation so can't answer directly. One factor is that the recovery rebate is only available for child dependents age 16 or less, and is based on the number of qualifying dependents and not their identity. So if you received a stimulus payment for a child who turned 17, and added a newborn, you would not qualify for anything additional--you claimed 1 qualifying dependent but were already paid for one dependent.

Turbotax will tell you that you qualify for a certain amount of rebate, and will ask what your stimulus 1 and 2 payments were, it's not just a yes/no question.  If you entered the wrong amount of your round 1 or round 2 payment, that might have taken away a rebate you were eligible for. 

There is also an income limit.  If your income is more than $75,000 single or $150,000 married filing jointly, then your stimulus is phased out, and eliminated at about $80,000 and $175,000, more or less.  If your income is in that range, your stimulus payment might be more than the allowable rebate, even after adding a child, because the rebate was reduced by your income. 

If you used Turbotax installed on your own computer, you can switch to Forms mode and review the calculation on the recovery rebate worksheet.  If you used Turbotax online, that worksheet might be included in your PDF if you download "all forms and worksheets" instead of just downloading the pdf of the tax return. 

[sthompson24]

I'm married with two children (13 &1 years old). We fall within the income limits. I saved my taxes and all forms. I received a letter that notified me that we received our second economic impact payment. It notes in the letter that if our circumstances changed since we filed our 2019 return, such as having a child in 2020, we may request increases to the amount of our second payment. It says we can do this by claiming a recovery rebate credit on line 30 but I don't remember how I was supposed to do that. Would I need to amend my return to do that? Do you know how long it might delay my refund if I do that?

[Opus 17]

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@sthompson24 wrote:

I'm married with two children (13 &1 years old). We fall within the income limits. I saved my taxes and all forms. I received a letter that notified me that we received our second economic impact payment. It notes in the letter that if our circumstances changed since we filed our 2019 return, such as having a child in 2020, we may request increases to the amount of our second payment. It says we can do this by claiming a recovery rebate credit on line 30 but I don't remember how I was supposed to do that. Would I need to amend my return to do that? Do you know how long it might delay my refund if I do that?

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Delayed refund?  Did you only recently file your tax return?  If you need to amend, you won't do that until after any refund you claimed on your original return is paid.  You need to wait so that, if the IRS changes your tax return in some way, your amended return takes that into account.

I can't see your tax file, I can only tell you what should have happened, based on your facts and assuming you entered the facts correctly.

You would enter your personal information and dependents.  For the newborn, you must enter that the child lived with you all year.  The child must also have a valid social security number.  For 2 dependents, Turbotax would calculate a recovery rebate of $3400 for the first round and $2400 for the second round.  If you received stimulus payments for 1 child, you probably received $2900 in the first round and $1800 in the second round.  (These amounts are listed on your IRS letters 1444 and 1444-B.  When you enter those numbers in Turbotax, the program should tell you that you qualify for an additional $1100 of rebate and that would be added to line 30.  This is what the screen looks like in the desktop version, the online version should be similar.  (The numbers on my test account are different but the concept is the same.)

Since you have no entry on line 30, something went wrong.  Either you did not enter the dependent correctly, or you did not enter a social security number, or you entered the wrong amounts as what you received in round 1.

If you indicated the child lived with someone else, or the child provided their own support, or that other relatives provided more than half the support, then you did something wrong in the dependent interview and that would also disqualify you in most cases, but that would show up on the front page of the return.  Both children should be listed on the front of the tax return and the child tax credit box should be checked and NOT the box for "other credit."

If you can figure out what you did wrong, you can prepare an amended return to claim the credit, but don't file it until after your first refund is paid.  Amended returns will probably take 6 months or more to be processed and paid.

If you still can't figure out what you did wrong, you may want to call customer support and do a screen share so they can look at your file with you.