American taxpayers have a limited time to claim a $1400 stimulus check through their 2021 tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service. The Recovery Rebate Credit is still accessible for those who did not receive one or more Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individuals who have yet to file their 2021 returns may still be eligible for these payments, as long as they submit the necessary information by April 15. Any unclaimed funds typically revert to the US Treasury if taxpayers fail to file and claim their refunds within a three-year period. The IRS announced in December 2024 that it would automatically issue payments to individuals who had not yet claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit, provided they filed their returns. As a result, special payments were disbursed to approximately one million US taxpayers who overlooked claiming the recovery rebate credit in 2021.
The payment amounts depend on individual circumstances, with a maximum of $1400 available per person. The IRS previously estimated that over $1 billion in refunds had gone unclaimed by taxpayers, with a median credit amount of $781 for 2021. This estimate does not account for the Recovery Rebate Credit or any other credits.
“The IRS encourages taxpayers who have not yet submitted their 2021 tax returns to consider that they might qualify for a refund by filing and claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit by the April 15, 2025, deadline. Eligible taxpayers who did not file must still submit a tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, even if their income from work, business, or other sources was minimal or non-existent,” it stated in December of the previous year.
