Economic Stimulus: Important deadline today at noon (EST) impacting certain federal benefit recipients

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

[Spanish version here]

An important IRS deadline arrives today at noon, Eastern Standard Time, closing the brief window that allows certain recipients of federal benefits to more quickly secure an extra $500 in stimulus money per dependent child. An IRS alert about this just went out the day before yesterday (Monday) and the deadline is today.

SSA benefit recipients and Railroad Retirement recipients who were not required to file taxes in 2018 or 2019, and who have dependent children up to 16 years old, will need to visit the IRS “non-filer tool” to provide information about their dependents in order to receive the extra $500 per dependent at the same time that they receive their $1,200 economic stimulus payment. If they don’t visit the non-filer tool, they will still automatically get their $1,200 stimulus payment; however, in order to get the extra money for dependent children, they will have to wait until next they file their 2020 income taxes next year.

The IRS alert also explains that, similarly, recipients of SSI and VA benefits should also provide information about their dependent children using the IRS non-filer tool as soon as possible, although they will have a few more days to complete this.

The FTC provides brief information in its blog (click here).

More detailed information in English and Spanish is included in the IRS Alert (click here).