Although the IRS is done automatically sending eligible taxpayers who missed out on the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit the $1,400 stimulus payments, there’s still a critical window for claiming those funds. You can still get your payment if you missed the automatic payment cut-off by having your 2021 tax return filed through April 15, 2025. Here’s what you should know about acting before time runs out.
Understanding the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit
The Recovery Rebate Credit was designed to refund people who did not receive their full Economic Impact Payments when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. That third round of stimulus checks, signed into law in March 2021, included a maximum of $1,400 per eligible individual. However, millions of taxpayers failed to claim the credit on their 2021 tax return, so the IRS began sending out $2.4 billion in automatic payments to 1 million recipients in December 2024.
Key facts:
- The IRS used its own information to identify qualifying taxpayers and began disbursing the payments by direct deposit or paper checks in late January 2025.
- Automatic payments were restricted to those who had filed a 2021 return, but who had left the RRC field blank or inserted $0 when they, in fact, were qualified.
- Non Filers or other taxpayers who didn’t claim the credit will need to file a 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025, to receive the payment.
Who receives the $1,400 payment?
Eligibility based on 2021 income and filing status plus prior stimulus received:
- Income:
- Single filers: Full amount if AGI was ≤$75,000; phases out at $80,000.
- Joint filers: Full amount if AGI ≤$150,000; phases out at $160,0005
- Filing status:
- A U.S. citizen or resident alien.
- Be assigned a valid Social Security number
- Dependents: The qualifying individual can claim an additional $1,400 per qualifying dependent.
Even those filers who had little or no income in 2021 qualify but must file a return to claim the credit.
How to get your stimulus check before deadline
If you missed the deadline for an automatic payment, here is how you can get your check:
Gather needed documents:
- Gather 2021 income documents ready (W-2s, 1099s) and any information on any prior stimulus payment amounts received.
- Use the IRS’s Get My Payment tool to check EIP amounts or Your IRS Online Account.
File a 2021 tax return:
- File Forms 1040 or 1040-SR by April 15, 2025. Complete the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet to figure your allowable amount.
- If you don’t have your tax documents, get a transcript by ordering with IRS Form 4506-T.
Use Free Filing resources:
- IRS Free File Program if AGI is ≤ $79,000-file online for free.
- Lone Star Legal Aid and others help low-income individuals with process.
Track your payment:
- After filing, check your refund status in the Where’s My Refund? tool. Payments usually take 21 days when filed electronically.
What happens after you file?
- Refund timing: Direct deposits take 2–3 weeks and paper checks may take 6–8 weeks.
- Errors or discrepancies: If the IRS adjusts your credit amount, you’ll receive a notice explaining the changes. Disputes are resolved by mailing in documentation3.
- Missed deadlines: If you miss the April 15, 2025, filing deadline, you forfeit your claim to the credit irreversibly.
Why it’s important to act now
The IRS has made clear that April 15, 2025 is a firm deadline–no extensions allowed. This really is the last chance to rectify oversights in 2021 and free up funds to perhaps relieve the financial stressors in your family budget. A $5,600 family credit is available to some families—for example, to a married couple with two dependents.
While the IRS is no longer making automatic payments of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, a window of up to $1,400 per individual remains open through the filing of a 2021 tax return. With the deadline fast approaching, taxpayers should hurry to get their papers in order, file accurately, and claim this important assistance. For those that need assistance, free resources and legal aid organizations are available to help navigate the process.
Don’t let it slip away, your stimulus check may still be in your future. Verification of eligibility or assistance in filing may be had via the official IRS website or by phone to a local taxpayer advocacy group.
Read more: IRS $1400 stimulus check payment dates in 2025 – These are the Americans who will collect the tax relief this year
Read more: What’s the earliest I can file my 2024 taxes? Key dates for 2025 tax season
