What to know about the Third Stimulus Checks – Get It Back (2024)

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes a third round of stimulus checks. The payments are an advance of a temporary credit for 2021 (which you file taxes for in 2022).

The payment is worth up to $1,400 for each eligible adult and each qualifying dependent in a household. For example, a family of four would receive up to $5,600.

Click on any of the following links to jump to a section:

• Eligibility
• Getting your Third Stimulus Check
• Troubleshooting

While eligibility is similar to the first and second stimulus checks, there are differences. There are four primary requirements:

1. Income: The income requirements to receive the full payment are the same as the first and second stimulus checks. There is no minimum income needed to qualify for the payment. Households with adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $75,000 for individuals (up to $150,000 if married filing jointly and up to $112,500 if head of household) will receive the full payment. The third stimulus payment starts to phaseout for people with higher earnings. The third stimulus check’s maximum income limit is lower than the first and second stimulus check. Single filers who earned more than $80,000 ($160,000 if married filing jointly and $120,000 if head of household) in 2020 are ineligible for the third stimulus check.

View the chart below to compare income requirements for the first, second, and third stimulus checks.

2. Social Security Number: This requirement is different from the first and second stimulus check.

Any family member that has a Social Security number (SSN) or dependent (regardless of age) can qualify for the third stimulus check. For example, in a household where both parents have ITINs, and their children have SSNs, the children qualify for stimulus checks, even though the parents don’t.

For the first and second stimulus check, at least one spouse must have avalid Social Security number(SSN). If you are married filing jointly, and one spouse has an SSN and one has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the spouse with an SSN and any qualifying dependents with SSNs or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN) can get the payment. If one spouse is an active member of the military, thenbothspouses are eligible for a stimulus check even if only one spouse has an SSN and the other spouse has an ITIN.

Originally, under the first stimulus check, if you were married filing jointly, both spouses needed valid SSNs. However,expanded SSN rulesfor the second stimulus check are retroactive and now apply to the first stimulus check. If you were denied your first stimulus payment because both you and your spouse did not have SSNs,you can claim your first stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return.

See the chart below for further explanation of how this works.

3. Dependency: The dependency requirement is the same as the first and second stimulus check. You cannot be claimed as someone else’s dependent on a tax return to get the third stimulus check for yourself.

If you are claiming dependents for an additional $1,400, they can be any age as long as they have an SSN or ATIN. Unlike the first and second stimulus checks, there is no age requirement.

4. Citizenship or Residence: The citizenship or residency requirements are the same as the first and second stimulus check. You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or qualifying resident alien.

For the third stimulus check, all your dependents qualify, regardless of age. This means that for each child or adult dependent you have, you can claim an additional $1,400.

This is different from the first and second stimulus checks, which only allowed child dependents (under 17) to get the additional payment.

Yes. For the third stimulus check, people who have died on or after January 1, 2021, are eligible to receive the third stimulus check. However, for married military couples, the date of eligibility is expanded. If the person who died was a member of the military and diedbeforeJanuary 1, 2021, the surviving spouse can still receive the third stimulus check, even if they don’t have an SSN.

For the first and second stimulus check, the IRS has stated that people who died on or after January 1, 2020,areeligible to receive both payments.

If they didn’t receive the stimulus payments or didn’t receive the full amounts that they are eligible for, spouses or other family members can file a 2020 federal tax return and claim it as part of theirtax refundby visiting GetYourRefund.org which opens January 31, 2024.

If you are incarcerated, you are eligible to receivethe first, second, and third stimulus checks if you meet the other eligibility requirements.

None of the three stimulus checks can be reduced to pay any federal or state debts and back taxes. Unlike the first stimulus check, your second and third stimulus checkcannotbe reduced if you owe past-due child support payments.

If you are claiming the payments as part of your 2020 tax refund (known as theRecovery Rebate Tax Credit),the payments are no longer protected from past-due child support payments, creditor and debt collectors, and other federal or state debt that you owe (see IRS FAQs Q E2andQ E3). In other words, if you receive your first or second stimulus checks as part of your tax refund instead of direct checks, it may be reduced.

Just like the first and second stimulus checks, the third stimulus check does not count as income when determining your eligibility for means-tested programs like SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid. Stimulus checks are not counted as income for the EITC or unemployment benefits.

Just like the first and second stimulus checks, the third stimulus check doesn’t count as income, so you don’t have to pay taxes on them. You will not be required to pay anything back.

Yes. For the third stimulus check, any household member that has an SSN qualifies for a payment.

This is different than the first and second stimulus check, where at least one tax filer must have an SSN for the household to claim the stimulus checks. That adult with the SSN and any qualifying children with SSNs will get the stimulus checks.

The IRS automatically sent your payment if:

• You filed a tax return for tax year 2019 or 2020.
• You are a Social Security recipient, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), railroad retiree. Or you are a Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) and Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiary.
• You successfully signed up for the first stimulus check online using the IRS Non-Filers tool or submitted a simplified tax return that has been processed by the IRS.

To find out the amounts of stimulus checks that the IRS has issued to you, visit your IRS Online Account. If you don’t have an account, you will need to create one using ID.me.

If you are missing your third stimulus check, file your 2021 tax return by visiting GetYourRefund.org.

The government started sending the third stimulus checks on March 12, 2021. The IRS continues to send third stimulus checks as people submit their information to the IRS by filing a 2021 tax return. You can file with GetYourRefund.org which opens January 31, 2024.

If you have your banking information on file, the IRS sent your payment via direct deposit. Otherwise, you will receive your payment as a check or debit card via mail. Mailed checks and debit cards may take longer to deliver.

If you don’t fall into any ofthese categories, you’ll have to wait to receive your third stimulus check.You will need to file a 2021 federal tax return to get the third stimulus checkwhich you can do at GetYourRefund.org.

You can also get the first and second stimulus check as theRecovery Rebate Crediton your tax return.

You can learn the status of your third stimulus check by viewing your IRS Online Account. You can also view the amounts of the first and second stimulus checks issued to you. If you don’t have an account, you will need to create one using ID.me.

File your 2021 tax return atGetYourRefund.org which opens January 31, 2024.

You can file a tax return even if you don’t have a filing requirement to get other tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.

If you didn’t get your first or second stimulus check or didn’t get the full amount that you are eligible for,file a 2020 federal tax return and claim them as part of your tax refund by visiting GetYourRefund.org.

You have up to 3 years to file a prior year tax return. Since the original deadline to file your 2021 taxes was April 18, 2022, you can file a 2021 tax return by April 18, 2025. This year, you can file a 2021 tax return at GetYourRefund.org which opens January 31, 2024.

The IRS will mail your check to the address it has on file for you if your third stimulus check was direct deposited into an invalid or closed bank account.

The IRS is no longer mailing third stimulus checks automatically. If you haven’t received your third stimulus check by mail, you must file a 2021 tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.

If you didn’t receive your first and/or second stimulus check in 2020,you can still claim the payments as a tax credit by filing your 2020 tax.

You have up to 3 years to file a prior year tax return. Since the original deadline to file your 2020 taxes was May 17, 2021, you can file a 2020 tax return by May 17, 2024. This year, you can file a 2020 tax return at GetYourRefund.org which opens January 31, 2024.

If you need help claiming your first, second, and/or third payment as the Recovery Rebate tax credit on your 2020 tax return, you can:

• Visit GetYourRefund.org.
• Check out theFree Tax Filing page for free resources to file.
• Contact your localVolunteer Income Tax Assistance(VITA)orAARP Foundation’sTax-Aidesite to get free tax help from an IRS-certified volunteer.

All information on this site is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. The Center on Budget & Policy Priorities is not liable for how you use this information. Please seek a tax professional for personal tax advice.