Where can I find Form 1040 on Turbo Tax to claim my missing stimulus checks?
Title: Where can I find Form 1040 on Turbo Tax to claim my missing stimulus checks? 1 I'm filing taxes for the first time on my own this year and need some help with TurboTax. I qualified for both stimulus payments from 2020 ($1200 and $600) but never got the money because they used my 2019 info when I was still claimed as a dependent. Now I'm independent and need to claim these payments on my tax return. I've been clicking around the free version of TurboTax for like an hour but can't figure out where to find Form 1040 or how to enter this info to get my stimulus money. Does anyone know where this option is hidden in TurboTax? I'm worried I'll miss out on $1800 that I'm entitled to!
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Reina Salazar
4 TurboTax actually walks you through the process of claiming those stimulus payments without you needing to directly access Form 1040. Form 1040 is the main tax return form that gets created and filed after you complete all the steps in TurboTax. For claiming your stimulus payments (officially called Economic Impact Payments or Recovery Rebate Credit), TurboTax should ask you questions about this during the "Federal" section. Look for a section about "Recovery Rebate Credit" or something related to stimulus payments. If you indicate you didn't receive the payments but were eligible, TurboTax will automatically calculate and include the credit on your return. If you don't see these questions, try looking under "Deductions & Credits" and then "Credits" section. Sometimes it's listed there as "Recovery Rebate Credit.
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Reina Salazar
•7 Thanks for the info. I went through the Deductions & Credits section twice and still don't see anything about stimulus or Recovery Rebate Credit. Is it possible the free version doesn't include this feature? Do I need to upgrade to claim this money?
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Reina Salazar
•4 The free version absolutely includes this feature since it's a basic tax credit for 2020/2021 returns. You shouldn't need to upgrade. It might be that you're not at the right stage of the filing process yet. TurboTax guides you step-by-step, and sometimes certain sections aren't accessible until you complete previous ones. Make sure you've finished all the income sections completely before looking for the credits. If you're still having trouble, try searching "stimulus" or "recovery rebate" in the TurboTax search bar (usually at the top of the screen).
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Reina Salazar
12 I had the EXACT same issue when filing this month! Spent forever trying to find where to claim my stimulus money on TurboTax Free. After a ton of frustration, I discovered that using https://taxr.ai completely solved my problem. I uploaded screenshots of my tax situation and the AI explained exactly where to find the Recovery Rebate Credit section in TurboTax. It guided me through each screen I needed to navigate to, which was buried in a submenu I kept missing. The system also verified I was eligible based on my new independent status. Honestly saved me hours of frustration and potentially missing out on my $1800!
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Reina Salazar
•19 How exactly does this work? If I upload my tax info to some AI site, is that secure? I'm pretty cautious about my financial data.
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Reina Salazar
•8 I've heard of other tax help AIs but most of them just give generic advice. Does this actually show you the specific screens in TurboTax you need to click through?
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Reina Salazar
•12 The security is actually really good - they use the same encryption as banking sites and don't store your documents after analysis. I was hesitant too but they explain their security approach right on the site. For TurboTax specifically, it gave me step-by-step instructions with screenshots showing exactly where to click. In my case, I needed to go to Federal > Deductions & Credits > Other Tax Situations > Recovery Rebate Credit. The AI identified that I was missing this section because I had accidentally marked that I received the stimulus when I hadn't.
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Reina Salazar
8 Just wanted to give a quick update after trying taxr.ai for my stimulus check issues. Worked perfectly! Turns out I was answering a question wrong early in the process which is why TurboTax wasn't showing me the Recovery Rebate Credit section at all. The AI pointed out exactly which screen I needed to go back to and fix. Just finished filing and got my full $1800 stimulus money included in my refund. Definitely recommend for anyone else struggling with this!
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Reina Salazar
15 Had a similar issue and tried calling the IRS directly for help since TurboTax support wasn't helping. Big mistake - was on hold for 3+ hours and never got through. Then I found https://claimyr.com which lets you skip the IRS phone wait. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with explained that for 2020 returns, Form 1040 has a specific line (Line 30) for the Recovery Rebate Credit, and confirmed TurboTax Free edition DOES include this. The agent walked me through exactly where to find it and how to ensure I was entering my information correctly. Saved me so much time and frustration!
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Reina Salazar
•23 Wait, this service actually gets someone from the IRS on the phone for you? How is that even possible when everyone knows the IRS never answers?
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Reina Salazar
•9 Sounds sketchy. What's the catch? They must charge a fortune for this or it's not actually connecting to real IRS agents.
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Reina Salazar
•15 Yes, it actually works! They use a system that keeps dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree until it gets through, then it calls you when an actual agent is on the line. No catch - they connect you with the real IRS phone support. The service just handles the awful waiting and phone tree navigation. The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that TurboTax Free has Recovery Rebate Credit capability. For me, the issue was I needed to go to "Other Tax Situations" and then find the Recovery Rebate Credit section which was hidden in a submenu.
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Reina Salazar
9 Just wanted to follow up after trying Claimyr because I was super skeptical. I really didn't believe it would work, but I was desperate after spending hours trying to find the stimulus section in TurboTax. I'm honestly shocked - it got me through to an actual IRS person in about 20 minutes (while I just went about my day until my phone rang). The IRS agent confirmed exactly what sections I needed to look for in TurboTax and explained that some of the questions are worded confusingly. Problem solved and my return now includes the full stimulus amounts I missed. This service is legit!
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Reina Salazar
11 If you're stuck and don't want to use those services, here's a direct way to find it: In TurboTax Free, after entering your income info, go to: 1) Federal Taxes 2) Deductions & Credits 3) Look for "Recover Rebate Credit" or "Stimulus Payment" If you still don't see it, check if you accidentally told TurboTax you already received the payments. You might need to go back and change your answer to the question "Did you receive Economic Impact Payments in 2020?
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Reina Salazar
•17 I found it! It wasn't under Deductions & Credits for me though. It was under "Other Tax Situations" on my version. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
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Reina Salazar
•11 Glad you found it! The TurboTax interface can vary slightly between different versions and they sometimes update the menu structure. The key is checking that "Other Tax Situations" section if you don't see it in the more obvious places.
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Reina Salazar
3 Anyone else having an issue where TurboTax keeps saying I'm not eligible for the stimulus money even though I know I am? I was claimed as a dependent in 2019 but not in 2020, and I've checked all the requirements.
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Reina Salazar
•6 Make sure you're answering "No" to the question about whether anyone CAN claim you as a dependent for 2020 (not just whether they DID). That's a common mistake. If anyone could claim you (even if they don't), you might not be eligible.
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