During the pandemic, three rounds of stimulus checks helped millions of Americans get through the hard times. A new government report says that there may still be as many as 10 million people who haven’t claimed their money.
In a report released Tuesday, the Government Accountability Office said that about 165 million Americans were eligible for direct payments totaling $931 billion from the stimulus checks. The IRS used tax returns to figure out who was eligible for payments and send them to individuals and families. The checks were sent to bank accounts or homes.
But millions of Americans don’t have to file taxes. This includes some adults with very low incomes and some seniors who only get Social Security benefits. The GAO said this made it hard for the IRS to reach them when it was giving out stimulus checks, so they may not have gotten all of their money.
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During the pandemic, it was hard for the IRS and Treasury to get COVID-relief payments to some people, especially those with low incomes, limited access to the internet, or who were homeless, the GAO said in its report.
You still have time to claim.
There is good news, though. The report said that people who missed out on their stimulus checks can still get them.
The GAO said, “People who make little or no money and don’t have to pay taxes have until November 15 to fill out a simplified tax return to get their payments.”
People still have time to apply for the expanded Child Tax Credit, which was given to eligible families last year. Families with children under 17 could get up to $3,600 from this credit, but parents who didn’t get the money last year only have until November 15 to claim it.
People who are missing a stimulus payment should go to the IRS website for “Economic Impact Payments,” which is what the program is officially called, and follow the instructions there. To get the money, you’ll need to file a simplified tax return.
Parents who are still missing their 2021 Child Tax Credits can claim them on the GetCTC.org website.
The GAO said that people who should have filed taxes by April 15 but didn’t have enough money to do so have until October 17 to claim the payments. If you asked the IRS for more time, you have until October 17 to file your taxes for 2021.