Stimulus Check Status: What To Do If You Still Haven't Received Your $1,200 As Deadline Approaches

Democrats and the White House may be talking about the next round of coronavirus stimulus, but 9 million Americans have yet to receive the $1,200 stimulus checks authorized in March. If you are one of them, here’s what you can do to claim your economic impact payment.

The Internal Revenue Service initially relied on information in 2018 and 2019 tax returns for sending out the checks authorized by the CARES Act, as well as information from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security – but the latter two have no information about dependents.

The CARES Act authorized $500 in stimulus payments for dependents under the age of 17. If you received the $1,200 stimulus check but did not receive money for dependents, the deadline is Wednesday for updating that information on a non-filer’s form on the IRS website.

The IRS advises people who do not file tax returns and did not receive a stimulus check to visit the page and complete the form by Oct. 15.

Those who miss the deadlines still might be able to claim the stimulus payments by filing 2020 tax returns.

The IRS sent letters earlier this month as part of its outreach program. In all, 7 million people already have used the non-filers tool to register for payment.

The government is urging people who are low-income, no-income or homeless to fill out the form. Even qualifying resident aliens are eligible.

Filers need a valid Social Security number, must not show up as a dependent on anyone else’s return, and have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less for an individual or $112,500 if head of household or $150,000 for a couple filing a joint return. Reduced payments are available for those earning more up to a ceiling of $99,000 for individuals, $136,500 for heads of households and $198,000 for a married couple filing a joint return.