How to claim missed stimulus checks if I wasn't working during pandemic - is it too late?

So I was unemployed during the pandemic and never received any of the stimulus checks that were sent out. I didn't file taxes during that time since I had no income. Now I'm wondering if I can still claim those payments or if the window has completely closed for getting that money. I've heard people talking about a Recovery Rebate Credit but I'm not sure if that's still available for the 2025 tax season. Anyone know if I can still get those stimulus payments now? And if it's still possible, how much would the total amount be for all the checks they sent out? Trying to figure out if it's even worth the hassle at this point...

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20 comments

NeonNebula

•8M

You can still claim the stimulus payments you missed, but only by filing tax returns for the specific years those payments were issued. The three Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) were issued in 2020 and 2021, so you'd need to file returns for those tax years. The total amount would be up to $3,200 per eligible person ($1,200 for the first payment, $600 for the second, and $1,400 for the third), plus additional amounts if you had qualifying dependents. To claim them, you'll need to file the tax returns for 2020 and 2021, even if you had no income. You'll claim the missing payments through the Recovery Rebate Credit on those specific year returns. There's no way to claim them on your 2024 tax return (that you'd file in 2025).

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NeonNebula

•8M

No, you cannot add the Recovery Rebate Credit to your 2024 tax return. Each stimulus payment is tied specifically to the tax year it was issued for. You need to file a 2020 tax return to claim the first and second stimulus payments, and a 2021 tax return to claim the third payment. These would be separate returns from your 2024 tax return. Even with no income, you can still file returns for those years to claim the credits. There's no penalty for filing past returns when you're owed a refund, but you should do it soon as there's a 3-year deadline for claiming refunds.

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Ravi Malhotra

•8M

I was in the exact same situation as you but finally got my stimulus money using taxr.ai to help me figure it all out. I tried using regular tax software at first but kept getting confused about which years I needed to file and how to correctly claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. I found https://taxr.ai through another Reddit thread and it was super helpful because their AI analyzed my situation and walked me through exactly which returns I needed to file and how to claim each payment correctly. The system even showed me where exactly on each year's forms to report that I never received the payments.

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Ravi Malhotra

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works for prior year returns - that was actually my main problem before finding it. The system has all the tax forms from previous years and the rules that applied during those specific times. What makes it different is that it's not just a form-filler like regular tax software. It actually analyzes your specific situation (like missing stimulus payments) and then creates a personalized walkthrough. I found it way more helpful because it explained exactly why I needed to file both 2020 and 2021 returns separately and exactly which boxes to check to indicate I never received each payment. The explanation made everything much clearer than just being handed a blank form.

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Omar Farouk

•8M

I owe everyone here an apology for being so skeptical about taxr.ai in my earlier comment. After struggling with this exact stimulus payment issue for weeks, I decided to give it a try. It actually guided me through the process of filing my back returns for 2020 and 2021 to claim all three missed stimulus payments. The system clearly explained which forms I needed for each year and exactly how to indicate I never received the payments. Within about 30 minutes I had printable returns ready to mail in. Way simpler than I expected after all the confusion I'd been dealing with.

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Chloe Davis

•8M

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to confirm anything about your stimulus payments (which is likely), I'd recommend Claimyr. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about my missing stimulus money and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed which payments I was eligible for and never received. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone system and wait on hold, then call you when an agent is actually available.

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Chloe Davis

•8M

The service doesn't listen in on your call at all. They just use automated tech to navigate the IRS phone tree and wait on hold in your place. When they finally get a human IRS agent, they connect the call directly to your phone. It's basically just solving the hold time problem. They definitely don't have any "insider connection" - they're just using technology to handle the annoying wait times. I was skeptical too but after wasting entire afternoons on hold, I was desperate. The 20 minute thing varies - sometimes it takes longer depending on IRS call volume, but it's still way better than doing it yourself. I've heard people wait 3-4 hours on their own.

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Diego Chavez

•8M

I need to eat my words about Claimyr from my earlier comment. After another failed 2-hour attempt to reach the IRS myself yesterday, I gave in and tried it. Got connected to an IRS rep in about 35 minutes (not quite 20, but still WAY faster than my previous attempts). The agent confirmed I was eligible for all three stimulus payments I never received and explained exactly how to claim them on prior year returns. They even checked to make sure none had been issued to me already, which was super helpful. Saved me days of frustration trying to get this information.

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Anastasia Smirnova

•8M

You should specifically enter $0 for each payment - don't leave anything blank. The form will ask how much you received for each payment, and you need to clearly indicate you received nothing by entering zero. If you leave it blank, it might be interpreted as you not claiming the credit at all, or worse, might trigger a review. Just be 100% accurate - if you truly received nothing, put zeros. But if you're not sure, you should check your bank records from 2020 and 2021 first to verify, or create an account on the IRS website to view your payment history.

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Nathan Kim

•5M

Just wanted to add some important timing info for anyone in this situation - you generally have 3 years from the original due date of the tax return to claim a refund, so for the 2020 tax year (where you'd claim the first two stimulus payments), you have until April 15, 2024 to file. For 2021 (third stimulus payment), you have until April 15, 2025. Since we're in 2025 now, you've likely missed the deadline for the 2020 return, which means you can probably only claim the third stimulus payment ($1,400) by filing a 2021 return. I'd definitely recommend calling the IRS or checking with a tax professional to confirm what's still available to you before spending time on returns you can't benefit from anymore. The good news is even if you can only get the third payment, $1,400 is still worth the effort of filing that 2021 return!

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Giovanni Marino

•4M

Wait, this is really important info about the deadlines! So if I'm understanding correctly, I might have already missed my chance to get the first two stimulus payments ($1,800 total) but could still file for 2021 to get the $1,400 third payment? That's still a decent chunk of money but kind of frustrating to know I missed out on more because I didn't know about these deadlines. Is there any way to get an extension on the 2020 deadline or is it completely closed now?

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