Check the mail for this letter about your final IRS stimulus payment
The global pandemic shows no signs of letting up, with millions of people still struggling from furloughs or price increases. If you need to get tested for COVID-19, here’s where you can find at-home tests that are in stock.
To make things a bit easier for Americans, President Biden enacted the American Rescue Plan Act early last year. The idea behind it is to give those affected by the pandemic some financial relief in the form of a stimulus check.
The logistics of getting the checks to qualifying citizens are handled by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). But many didn’t receive theirs. Your taxes might also be impacted if you took advantage of the Advance Child Tax Credit. Keep reading to get the tax information you need.
Here’s the backstory
The American Rescue Plan Act was rolled out last year. You might have received the first two stimulus checks, but what if the third didn’t arrive?
There could be several reasons why the stimulus check never showed up. Clerical errors or incorrect information on the forms could have played a role. Many expecting recipients then tried to enquire with the IRS, but without much luck.
All isn’t lost, though, as the agency recognizes that millions of people could be without the help they desperately need.
People who received a third Economic Impact Payment will get a Notice 1444-C from the IRS. You should keep this letter for when you file your 2021 taxes.
What you can do about it
If you didn’t get the third payment, you might be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS will be sending out a separate letter (Letter 6475) later this month that could entitle you to claim the $1,400 stimulus check from the Recovery Rebate Credit.
To ensure that the process goes smoothly, you must include this letter when you file taxes for 2021. The IRS explained that Letter 6475 is only to be used for the third round of payments.
“Most eligible people already received the payments. However, people who are missing stimulus payments should review the information to determine their eligibility and whether they need to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit for the tax year 2020 or 2021,” the IRS explained.
Another phony IRS email is making the rounds - DO NOT click it
It’s a shame that thieves are taking advantage of the pandemic. Countless scams related to vaccines, vaccination cards, economic relief, employment and the COVID virus itself have surfaced.
One scam making the rounds involves a text message informing recipients that their unemployment benefits are expiring. The message includes a link to a fake state workforce agency site that requests personal information. Tap or click here for details on this scheme.
Coronavirus scams so bad the IRS, Secret Service and FTC are issuing warnings
People are handling the coronavirus outbreak in different ways. While most of us are trying to do the right thing by social distancing and helping flatten the curve, others are taking advantage of the pandemic to rip people off.