Three government stimulus checks totaling $3,200 were paid to eligible Americans: $1,200 in April ’20, $600 in Dec ’20 or January 2021, and $1,400 in March ’21. Not everyone tried to get their hands on the money they were qualified to receive. Some stimulus checks were not collected because the individual who was entitled to them died.
Stimulus Checks Of Deceased Individuals Can Be Claimed By Relatives
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued guidelines on what to do with stimulus checks if a relative has died.
Even if a partner or family member dies, you are still entitled to the money owing to them. There are 2 points to remember.
The first criterion is that the person was qualified for the US stimulus payment when alive and was still breathing when the three stimulus checks were issued. As a result, anyone who died in 2020 wouldn’t have been eligible for the 2021 stimulus payments.
Another thing to remember is that the money owed to the deceased person can only be claimed once. It should be claimed by the next of kin. However, if one of their children has already applied for the money to be given out, the stimulus check cannot be claimed by the other child.
On the decedent’s last tax return, the decedent’s spouse or wife, or descendant, can claim their stimulus payment. A partner can claim the coronavirus stimulus payment for the deceased individual by claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit on their joint federal tax return.
Whether you’re filing for someone who died last year, the IRS suggests filling out the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet to discover if they’re eligible for the stimulus payout.
