How to help my friend file tax return for recovery rebate credit with zero income

You're on the right track! For someone with zero income who's filing just to claim the recovery rebate credit, it's a pretty straightforward process. You'll need to complete a 2020 Form 1040, and yes, most of the income sections will have zeros. Make sure your friend signs the return, even with zero income. For the recovery rebate credit, complete the worksheet in the instructions to determine the exact amount they're eligible for (typically $1,200 for a single filer for the first payment). Be sure to check if your friend was claimed as a dependent on someone else's return in 2020, as this would make them ineligible for the credit. Also verify that they have a valid Social Security number that was issued before the due date of the return. You'll need to mail the paper return since there's no income to report - e-filing generally requires at least some income. Keep a copy of everything before mailing.

I was in a similar situation last year and struggled until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me figure out how to file for my brother who missed his stimulus payment. Their document analyzer immediately identified that he qualified for the recovery rebate credit despite having no income, and walked me through exactly how to complete the form correctly. The system analyzed our specific situation and created custom instructions that were way clearer than what I found on the IRS website. It confirmed we needed to put zeros in most fields but helped identify a couple of sections I would have completed incorrectly. Really saved us from potential delays.

Just wanted to follow up after trying taxr.ai for my cousin's missing stimulus payment. I was skeptical at first, but it actually worked perfectly for our zero income situation! The system confirmed she was eligible even though she hadn't filed taxes in years, and walked us through exactly which forms to fill out and where to mail them. What really impressed me was how it caught that she was technically eligible for another credit we didn't know about. The step-by-step instructions were super clear, and it was actually way easier than I expected. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're helping someone with a past stimulus claim.

If your friend is having trouble getting their recovery rebate credit sorted out after filing, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation where my return with the recovery rebate credit was stuck in processing for months with no updates. After trying for weeks to reach someone at the IRS without success, I used Claimyr's service, and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 30 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent was able to see that my return needed manual review because it only had the recovery rebate credit and explained exactly what was happening with the processing.

I have to eat my words and apologize to Profile 11. After my frustrated comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr for my recovery rebate issue. I was 100% convinced it would be a waste of time, but I had already spent hours trying to reach the IRS with no luck. I'm shocked to report that it actually worked exactly as described. Their system navigated all the IRS prompts, waited on hold, and then called me when an agent was about to pick up. The IRS representative I spoke with confirmed my return was in the system but flagged for manual review because it only contained the recovery rebate credit. They expedited the process and I should receive the payment in 4-6 weeks. Sorry for being so dismissive before - sometimes skepticism gets the better of me!

Just to add a practical tip - when you mail in a return with zero income that's only claiming the recovery rebate credit, write "RECOVERY REBATE CREDIT ONLY" in big letters at the top of the first page of the 1040. This helps the IRS route it properly and can speed up processing. Also, use certified mail with tracking so you can prove when it was sent and received. The IRS is still dealing with massive backlogs, and these paper returns sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

Has anybody had this experience? My sister filed a return like this last year just to claim her missing stimulus, and she got a letter from the IRS asking for ID verification before they would process it. She had to upload her ID through the IRS website and answer some questions to prove her identity.