It’s been almost 11 months since Congress approved the third stimulus check of $1,400. More stimulus checks are highly unlikely, so it is important for you to claim all the stimulus money you and your family members are eligible for, including those who are deceased. Yes, you can still claim a coronavirus stimulus check for a deceased person if they died during 2021 without receiving their $1,400 stimulus payment.
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President Joe Biden approved the American Rescue Plan in March 2021, giving $1,400 each to eligible individual taxpayers and their eligible dependents. The vast majority of recipients have already received their third stimulus check, but a few groups still haven’t.
One such group includes individuals who passed away in 2021 or 2022 without receiving their third stimulus check. They are still eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check if they meet the requirements. Moreover, if such individuals did get a third stimulus check but qualify for more money, their estate is still lawfully entitled to the remaining amount.
“An individual who died in 2021 or in 2022 and did not receive the full amount of the third Economic Impact Payment may be eligible for the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit if the individual met the eligibility requirements while alive,” the IRS says.
The deceased person is eligible for the payment if they were a U.S. citizen or resident alien, not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return, and had a Social Security Number. More importantly, the decedent must not have received the third stimulus check or didn’t get the full amount they were eligible for.
Who Can Claim The Money?
The surviving spouse or heir can claim the coronavirus stimulus check for the decedent through the decedent's final tax return. A surviving spouse can claim the coronavirus stimulus check for the deceased person by filing the Recovery Rebate Credit on their joint federal tax return.
If you are filing for a person who died last year, then the IRS suggests completing the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet to determine whether or not the decedent is eligible for the stimulus check.
If the decedent owes 2021 taxes, then it would reduce the amount of their stimulus check. The amount of recovery rebate credit is paired with the decedent’s tax refund. A point to note is that you can’t claim the third stimulus check for a person who died before 2021.
“An individual who died prior to January 1, 2021 does not qualify for the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit,” the IRS says.
In addition to the coronavirus stimulus check for the deceased, you can also claim a dependent stimulus check if you added a new dependent last year, like if you had a baby in 2021.
