An important deadline regarding stimulus checks is only hours away. As reported on Monday, the IRS has given a deadline of noon ET on Wednesday, April 22 for certain non-filers who are awaiting a stimulus check who also intend to claim dependents. However, this pending deadline only affects certain people.
Anyone who collects Social Security retirement or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income, VA benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits, and did not file taxes in 2018 or 2019, will have until Wednesday to claim any dependents as part of their stimulus payment. The IRS has set up a special non-filer portal on its website to allow everyone to make the necessary changes. Each claimed dependent will add $500 to the one-time stimulus payment of $1,200. Once the deadline is missed, it will not be possible to make any changes, although it will not affect the one-time $1,200.
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IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig told Forbes that the agency wants “to ‘Plus $500’ these recipients with children so they can get their maximum Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 plus $500 for each eligible child as quickly as possible.” While he stressed the $1,200 payment will be automatic, “they need to act quickly and register at IRS.gov to get the extra $500 per child added to their payment. These groups don’t normally have a return filing obligation and may not realize they qualify for a larger payment. We’re asking people and organizations throughout the country to share this information widely and help the IRS with the Plus $500 Push.”
Additionally, while Supplemental Security Income and VA benefits will need to visit IRS.gov to update their respective dependents, they will have some time beyond the April 22 deadline. However, no specific window was given, and are still encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
While some stimulus payments have already gone out as direct deposits, which has resulted in anxious recipients awaiting their payment, not to mention deposits ending up in the wrong accounts due to the IRS’s outdated info. There’s also the issue of landlords illegally spying on their tenants’ payout status as they attempt to collect rent, not to mention the fact that some of the payments are getting eaten up by debt collectors. The latter may result in legal action from the Treasury Department, though Congress would likely have to intervene.
