Didn’t file a tax return and expecting a stimulus check? IRS sets deadline to register
Close to $267 billion in federal stimulus cash has hit bank accounts and mailboxes across the U.S. since the Trump Administration signed off on economic impact payments made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic.
But for low-income Americans who don’t file tax returns, there’s a finite amount of time to register.
The Internal Revenue Service issued an Oct. 15 deadline for non-filers to submit their information using the “Non-Filers Tool” on the its website. The form is used to notify the IRS of an individual and his or her dependents’ eligibility as well as their direct deposit information or address.
“IRS employees worked around the clock to deliver the Economic Impact Payments and new tools to help taxpayers in record time,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement announcing the deadline. “Even with these unprecedented steps, there remain people eligible for these payments who need to take action.”
Individuals earning less than $12,200 or couples earning less than $24,400 or anyone who earns no income and cannot be claimed as a dependent is eligible for a stimulus payment, according to the IRS.
“This includes couples and individuals who are homeless,” the agency’s website states.
Married couples can receive a $2,400 economic impact payment while individuals qualify for a $1,200 payment. Qualifying children under 17 years old merit an additional $500 per child.
Those individuals don’t, however, typically have to file income taxes.
Unlike people who did file a tax return in 2018 or 2019, non-filers do not automatically qualify for a stimulus payment and will need to provide the IRS with their information to receive payments either by direct deposit or check.
The IRS provides a list of possible scenarios for whom that might encompass on its website.
Until the fall deadline, the IRS has said it “will be conducting an extensive outreach and education effort to partner groups who serve homeless individuals, underserved communities, limited English households and others.”
Most information concerning the economic impact payments is available online in multiple languages.
Those who register by Oct. 15 will likely receive their payment by the end of 2020, according to the IRS.
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Didn’t file a tax return and expecting a stimulus check? IRS sets deadline to register."
