Can I still get stimulus checks for 2020/2021 if I didn't file my taxes?

So if I file my 2020 and 2021 taxes now, will I actually get a check in the mail for the stimulus money? Or is it just going to reduce what I might owe? And are there penalties for filing this late? I'm in a similar boat where I didn't file either year.

If your Recovery Rebate Credit exceeds what you owe in taxes, you'll receive the difference as part of your tax refund, either via direct deposit or a check in the mail depending on how you set up your refund preference when filing. Yes, there can be penalties for filing late if you owed taxes for those years. However, if you were due a refund, there's generally no penalty for filing late (though you've essentially given the government an interest-free loan). The good news is that if you didn't have much income in those years, you might not owe taxes at all, so the entire credit could come back to you as a refund.

Did this actually work for getting your stimulus money? The IRS website keeps giving me conflicting info, and I'm worried I'll fill everything out wrong and either get nothing or worse, get flagged for an audit.

How does this work with tax software? I was planning to use TurboTax or something similar to file my back taxes. Would I still need this taxr.ai thing or would TurboTax handle the stimulus credit stuff?

It absolutely worked for getting my stimulus money. The tool analyzed my situation and showed exactly where to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on my returns. I received my full stimulus amounts as part of my tax refund about 3 weeks after filing. Tax software like TurboTax does handle the Recovery Rebate Credit, but in my experience, they ask confusing questions about whether you received stimulus payments. That's where I found taxr.ai helpful - it scanned my bank statements to confirm which payments I had or hadn't received, so I could be 100% confident in my answers. It works alongside whatever tax filing method you choose.

How does this Claimyr thing actually work? Are you saying it somehow gets you to the front of the IRS phone queue? That sounds too good to be true.

I don't buy it. I've called the IRS plenty of times and eventually got through. Seems like a waste of money for something you can do yourself if you're just patient enough. What does this service do that just calling repeatedly can't accomplish?

It doesn't put you at the front of the queue, but it automates the calling process. The IRS phone system hangs up on you when call volume is too high, so Claimyr keeps calling back automatically until it gets through, then calls your phone to connect you. It saved me hours of redial frustration. I totally get the skepticism. I was hesitant too, but after spending literal days trying to get through with no success (getting disconnected after 30+ minutes on hold multiple times), I was desperate. The time I saved was absolutely worth it considering I needed the information to file correctly before the deadline. Sometimes your time is worth more than the cost of a service.

Wait, so I only have until May 17th of this year to file my 2020 taxes and get that stimulus money? That's like a week away! Is there any way to get an extension on that deadline?

Unfortunately there's no way to extend the 3-year refund statute. May 17, 2024 is the absolute deadline for claiming a refund on your 2020 taxes, including the first two stimulus payments. After that date, any refund you were entitled to goes to the Treasury, and you can't get it back. My suggestion would be to file your 2020 return immediately, even if it's not perfect. You can always amend it later if needed, but at least you'll have met the refund deadline. For your 2021 taxes, you have until April 2025, so there's less urgency there.

I filed my 2020 return in January (super late) with the stimulus credits and my refund took almost 8 weeks to process. The "Where's My Refund" tool was stuck on "processing" the whole time. The IRS is backlogged with late returns, especially ones claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit since those get extra scrutiny. It'll come eventually but definitely takes longer than the normal 21 days.

This is really helpful advice, especially about getting the Account Transcript! I didn't even know that was a thing. Quick question though - when you say the IRS has been "extra thorough" with these returns, what does that actually mean? Are they taking longer to process, or are people getting audited more often? I'm already nervous about filing so late and don't want to make things worse by doing something wrong.

@Christian Burns is spot on about getting that Account Transcript - it s'a lifesaver! When I say extra "thorough, I" mean the IRS is taking longer to process returns with Recovery Rebate Credits usually (6-12 weeks instead of the normal 21 days because) they re'cross-referencing your claimed amounts against their payment records. It s'not necessarily more audits, but they will send you a letter if there s'a discrepancy asking you to verify or correct the amount. I ve'seen people wait months for their refunds because they claimed the wrong stimulus amount and had to go back and forth with the IRS to resolve it. The key is being accurate from the start - if your Account Transcript shows you received $600 but not the $1,200 payment, only claim the $1,200 on your return. Better to be conservative and correct than to overclaim and deal with delays. The IRS has gotten much better at catching these discrepancies since they have all the payment data digitized now.