What do I do if I've never gotten any of the stimulus checks ...how do I go about getting them?

[NCperson]

can you provide any more detail?

did you file a 2020 or 2021 tax return? look at line 30 on each tax return.  Any money due you should have been reflected there.

Otherwise, the filing for 2020 and 2021 is the way to get this money.

Alternatively, did you look at your transcript at the IRS website? if you see the stimulus payment listed in the 2020 or 2021 details and you didn't receive it (i.e. it was mailed and you enver received the check), they you will have to complete form 3811 and mail it to US Treasury.  The IRS won't be able to help you out.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3911.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

[xmasbaby0]

@Wino920327 If anyone could claim you as a dependent for 2020 or 2021 then you were not eligible to receive the stimulus checks then, nor would you be eligible now after the fact.   But if you were eligible and did not receive the checks----you can receive them as a recovery rebate credit by filing tax returns for 2020 and/or 2021 using the CD/download software on a full PC or Mac.   As already suggested in an earlier reply in this thread, you need to check your online account with the IRS and you need to look at line 30 of your Form 1040's if you did file tax returns for 2020 and/or 2021.

 The first stimulus checks were issued in 2020; the first one was for $1200 for adults and $500 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.   The IRS was in a hurry to send out those checks so they sometimes used information from your 2019 return to send out the check.  Or sometimes they sent it after you filed your 2020 return.

The second stimulus was sent in late 2020 or early 2021; that one was $600 per adult and $600 for qualified children dependents under the age of 17.

The 3rd stimulus check was $1400 for adults and $1400 for any dependent you claimed, and was sent out in 2021.

If you did not receive the first or second stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2020 return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.   The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

If you did not receive the 3rd stimulus check, you can get it by filing a 2021 tax return and use the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.    The stimulus amount will show up on line 30 of the Form 1040.

Check your own bank account for deposits of the stimulus checks, and check your online account with the IRS to see what the IRS shows they sent to you.

Try checking your online account with the IRS (and if you filed a joint return—check for BOTH of you)

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

Online preparation and e-filing for 2019 and 2020 and 2021 is permanently closed.

To file a return for a prior tax year

 If you need to prepare a return for 2019, 2020 or 2021 you can purchase and download desktop software to do it, then print, sign,  and mail the return(s)

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/past-years-products/

You may also want to explore purchasing the software from various retailers such as Amazon, Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam’s, etc.

Remember to prepare your state return as well—if you live in a state that has a state income tax.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/state-taxes/help/how-do-i-contact-my-state-department-of-revenue/0... 

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses.  Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.

Note:  The desktop software you need to prepare the prior year return must be installed/downloaded to a full PC or Mac.  It cannot be used on a mobile device.

If you are getting a refund, there is not a penalty for filing past the deadline.  If you owe taxes, the interest/penalties will be calculated by the IRS based on how much you owe and when they receive your return and payment. The IRS will bill you for this; it will not be calculated by TurboTax.

[Opus 17 · Accepted solution]

First, were you eligible?  You must have a Social Security number and be a US citizen or green card holder, and you can’t be eligible to be claimed as a dependent by someone else.  If you became a citizen or green card holder and got your Social Security number after the deadline, then you are not retroactively eligible.

Then second, did you file a tax return for 2020 or 2021? If you did not get a check or direct deposit of the rebate, then you should have claimed any equivalent credit on your tax return, and you would’ve received the money as part of your tax refund.

Next, you should check the “get my payment tool“ on the IRS website to see if payments were issued in your name.  It is possible that a payment was issued in your name, but went to the wrong address or to the wrong bank account. In some cases, a payment might have even been claimed fraudulently. If the IRS thinks they sent you the payments, you can’t get them now by filing tax returns. You have to put a trace on the missing payments, and have the IRS start an investigation.
https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/covid-19-home/3rd-eip-and-2021-rrc/

Then lastly, if you were eligible, and never got a payment, and you did not get the equivalent credit on your 2020 and 2021 tax returns, and no payment was ever issued in your name in the IRS system, then you could claim the credit by filing a new or amended 2020 and 2021 tax return.