Many Americans may still have a $1,400 stimulus check waiting for them—but time is running out. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has identified more than one million people who qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) linked to the third round of pandemic stimulus payments from 2021. If you haven’t filed your 2021 tax return yet, you must do so by April 15 to claim the money.
This payment comes from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which was created to help people financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While most people received their payments automatically, many missed out due to tax filing mistakes or not filing taxes at all.
What Is the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)?
The Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) is a way for eligible taxpayers to claim stimulus money they didn’t receive in full during 2021. The maximum payment is $1,400 per eligible person, and it was part of the third round of federal stimulus checks.
If you didn’t get the full amount or missed the payment entirely, the IRS is giving you a final chance to claim it. But you must file a 2021 tax return—even if you didn’t earn enough to normally file taxes.
Why Did Some People Miss the Payment?
The IRS says many people didn’t receive their full stimulus due to several common reasons:
- They didn’t file a 2021 tax return
- They left the RRC field blank or entered $0 by mistake
- They believed they weren’t eligible, especially if they only had nontaxable income like Social Security benefits
- They weren’t aware that a tax return was required to get the credit
Newsweek reported that confusion about eligibility rules played a big part. For instance, many seniors and low-income individuals who rely on Social Security or other nontaxable income thought they didn’t qualify.
Who Is Eligible for the $1,400 Credit?
To qualify for the RRC payment, you must:
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Not be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return
- File a 2021 federal tax return
- Have missed or not received the full third-round stimulus payment
The IRS also stated that the credit is available even to people who had little or no income in 2021, which means many low-income or nonfilers could still be eligible.
How to Claim the Payment Before It’s Too Late
If you never filed a 2021 tax return, you must file it by April 15, 2025 (the standard three-year limit from the original due date). After that, you lose the right to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
You can file your taxes for free using options available on the IRS Free File page if your income is below a certain limit. The IRS has encouraged everyone who thinks they may be eligible to check and file now. Once filed, eligible taxpayers will receive the payment via direct deposit or check by mail.