How to claim Economic Impact Payment (EIP) in 2024 - Can I still get it?

The Economic Impact Payments (stimulus payments) were issued during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. If you never received them, you can still claim them by filing for the Recovery Rebate Credit, but you'll need to file an amended return (Form 1040-X) for the appropriate tax year. For the first two stimulus payments (from 2020), you would amend your 2020 return. For the third payment (from 2021), you would amend your 2021 return. You don't need to use TurboTax or H&R Block - you can file Form 1040-X yourself by downloading it directly from the IRS website. You'll need to calculate how much you were eligible to receive and how much (if any) you actually received. The difference is what you can claim as Recovery Rebate Credit. Make sure you have accurate records because the IRS will cross-check with their payment records.

Tax professional here. The Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) were the stimulus checks issued during 2020-2021 during the COVID pandemic. If you didn't receive them when they were originally issued, you can still claim them as the Recovery Rebate Credit by filing an amended return (Form 1040-X) for the appropriate tax year. For the first two stimulus payments ($1,200 and $600), you would amend your 2020 tax return. For the third payment ($1,400), you would amend your 2021 return. You don't need to pay a tax prep service - you can file the 1040-X yourself. The key is to calculate exactly how much you were eligible to receive based on your income and filing status, then subtract any amounts you actually received. The difference is what you can claim as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your amended return.

Hey there! Last year I was in almost the EXACT same situation with those stimulus payments. I tried handling it myself but got totally confused with all the amendment paperwork. I ended up using this website https://taxr.ai where you can upload your tax documents and it shows you exactly what you qualify for and how to claim it. For my situation, it identified that I was eligible for $2800 from missed stimulus payments that I never received! The site walked me through exactly which forms to fill out and what to put on each line of the 1040-X. Saved me from making errors that might have delayed my payment even more. The best part was it showed me how to file the amendment myself without paying a preparer.

I went through this exact same situation last year! I missed out on $1,400 from the third stimulus payment and TurboTax was no help at all. I ended up using this site https://taxr.ai where you upload your tax documents and it analyzes everything to show you exactly what you qualify for and how to claim it. The site identified that I was eligible for the full stimulus amount and walked me through exactly how to complete the 1040-X form - showed me precisely which lines to fill out and what amounts to enter. The best part was it generated all the instructions so I could file the amendment myself without paying a preparer. Honestly saved me hours of confusion and probably prevented me from making mistakes that would have delayed things even more.

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was seriously a game changer for my stimulus payment situation! It analyzed my previous returns and confirmed I was missing $1400 from the third stimulus that I never received. The step-by-step instructions for filing the 1040-X were super clear, and I was able to file the amendment myself. The site even generated a letter explaining why I was amending my return which I included with my forms. I just got confirmation from the IRS that my amendment was received and is being processed. Such a relief to finally be getting this sorted without paying someone hundreds of dollars to do it for me!

Just wanted to update everyone here - I tried the https://taxr.ai site mentioned earlier and it was honestly such a lifesaver for my stimulus payment situation! I uploaded my previous returns and it confirmed I was eligible for $600 from the second stimulus that I never received. The instructions it gave me for filling out the 1040-X were incredibly clear and straightforward. It even created a custom letter explaining exactly why I was amending my return, which I included when I mailed everything in. Just got notification from USPS that my amendment was delivered to the IRS last week. Such a relief to finally have this handled without paying some tax preparer a ridiculous amount to do something I could do myself with the right guidance!

If you're trying to get your stimulus money and having trouble reaching the IRS (which is literally IMPOSSIBLE these days), I had amazing results using https://claimyr.com after struggling for weeks to talk to an actual human at the IRS about my missing payments. Basically, they hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an actual agent is about to answer. I was skeptical at first, but after trying for literally 2 weeks to get through on my own and always getting disconnected, I gave it a shot. There's even a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I finally got to speak with an IRS agent who confirmed I was eligible for the payments and gave me specific instructions on how to claim them properly on my amended return. Saved me HOURS of frustration and hold music!

If you're trying to claim your EIP and need to talk to someone at the IRS (which is basically IMPOSSIBLE these days), I found this service called Claimyr that was a total game-changer. After trying for literally weeks to get through to an actual person at the IRS about my missing stimulus payments, I was about to give up. The service basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an actual agent is about to answer. I was pretty skeptical at first, but after being disconnected like 8 times trying on my own, I gave it a shot. You can check out how it works here: https://claimyr.com or see it in action: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I got connected to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes who confirmed I was eligible for the payments I missed and gave me specific instructions for my situation. Saved me hours of frustration and those terrible hold music loops!

Ok so I'm eating my words here... I tried that Claimyr service after calling the IRS 14 times over two weeks with no success. Got a call back in about 40 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line! The agent confirmed I qualify for $1400 from the third stimulus payment and walked me through exactly what to put on my 1040-X form. She explained that millions of people are still missing stimulus payments they were eligible for, and the IRS is still processing amended returns to issue these payments. She also gave me a direct reference number for my case which will help track my amendment. Honestly shocked this worked - already filled out my amendment form and dropping it in the mail tomorrow!

My wife and I never got our second stimulus check ($1200) and I just amended our 2020 return last month to claim it. Here's what I learned: 1. Download Form 1040-X directly from IRS.gov 2. You only need to fill out the parts that are changing (mainly the Recovery Rebate Credit line) 3. Include a brief explanation for the amendment (I wrote "Claiming Recovery Rebate Credit for unclaimed stimulus payment") 4. Mail it with tracking to the address in the instructions 5. Be patient... IRS says 16 weeks but mine is still processing after 5 weeks Hope this helps! Don't pay TurboTax or anyone else to do this - it's pretty straightforward once you understand what you're doing.

Has anyone done this this year? I'm afraid of getting hit with some penalty if I file for stimulus money this late... is there a deadline to claim these payments?

I'm in a similar situation - never received my third stimulus payment and have been putting off dealing with it because the whole process seemed overwhelming. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like filing the 1040-X amendment is definitely doable without paying a tax service. Quick question for those who have successfully done this: Do you need any special documentation to prove you never received the payment? I checked the IRS "Get My Payment" tool back in 2021 and it always said "Payment Status Not Available" but I don't have any screenshots or records of that. Will the IRS cross-reference their payment records automatically when they process the amendment, or do I need to provide some kind of proof that I never got it? Also, for anyone still on the fence about this - the deadline for amending 2021 returns (third stimulus) is April 15, 2025, so there's still time but probably better to get it done sooner rather than later given how long the IRS is taking to process amendments right now.