IRS extends deadline to claim coronavirus stimulus checks to Nov. 21

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Those who haven’t yet received the first coronavirus stimulus checks, now have some more time to claim it. Earlier the deadline for non-filers to claim the check was October 15. Now, the IRS has extended the deadline by five weeks, meaning the non-filers can now claim their coronavirus stimulus checks up to November 21.

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Deadline extended to claim coronavirus stimulus checks

On Monday, the IRS announced that it is extending the deadline to register for the stimulus payment to November 21.

“We took this step to provide more time for those who have not yet received a payment to register to get their money, including those in low-income and underserved communities,” IRS said in a press release.

This extended deadline is for those who don’t usually file a tax return. Such group of people includes millions with low income. It is not exactly clear how many people fall into this group that hasn’t gotten the stimulus check yet. Even the IRS and the Department of Treasury lack an exact count of people who may be eligible but are yet to get a stimulus payment, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), said in its recent report.

It is unlikely that the IRS would extend the deadline to claim the coronavirus stimulus checks beyond November 21. The IRS also said that extending the deadline further would “adversely impact” their work on the 2020 and 2021 filing seasons.

“The IRS is deeply involved in processing and programming that overlaps filing seasons," the agency said.  As per the agency, its non-filers portal has been available since the spring and millions of Americans have used it successfully.

No extension for tax return deadline

The IRS has been making efforts to contact the people who have not yet claimed their stimulus checks. Last month, it started sending letters to people who have still to claim their stimulus checks.

The letter informs people on how to determine their eligibility, and if eligible, how to claim the payment. As per the IRS, it sent out about 9 million letters last month to people who don’t normally file a tax return but may be eligible for the stimulus payment.

The non-filers, who haven’t yet gotten the check, now have until midnight on Nov. 21 to enter their information at the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info" tool on IRS.gov/eip.  These people can provide their bank account information to get the direct deposit, otherwise their checks will be mailed.

It must be noted that this extension of deadline only applies for the coronavirus stimulus checks, and not for filing your federal income tax return extension. The deadline to file your federal income tax return is still October 15.

The CARES Act, passed in March, offered a payment of $1,200 to those making $75,000 or less ($150,000 or less for married couples). Also, those with dependent children under 17 years get $500 per child extra.