Authorised in March 2021 under the American Rescue Plan, the $1,400 stimulus payment was the final of three federal payments intended to lessen the pandemic’s economic effects.
With a maximum amount of $5,600 per family (that satisfied the specified standards), it was intended for both people and families and came with a total cost of $814 billion.
Their allocation was based on dependent status and income thresholds.
April 15, 2025, was the last day to apply for the Recovery Rebate Credit, which is a way to make up for missed payments.
The IRS claims that the US Treasury now owns the unclaimed money and that there are no avenues for appeal.
Taking into account holiday modifications, this term was extended by three years from the initial 2021 return expiration date (April 18, 2022).
Automatic payments of $2.4 billion were sent to recipients of stimulus funding
Beginning with the CARES Act in 2020 ($1,200 per adult), Economic Impact Payments continued in December 2020 ($600), and reached their peak in 2021 ($1,400).
The loan closing signifies the end of a programme that poured $814 billion into the US economy, even if the majority got the funds automatically.
The IRS launched a programme in December 2024 to disburse $2.4 billion to one million taxpayers who had not claimed the credit after filing their 2021 taxes.
In January 2025, deposits were made by physical check or using bank account information from 2023 returns. Fields with a value of $0 in the credit or empty fields were included in the criteria.
Even those with non-taxable income were not eligible for the stimulus if they failed to file taxes in 2021.
The IRS reaffirmed that in order to be eligible for the credit, one had to file. It is anticipated that thousands of people did not take action because they were unaware of the conditions or were confused about their eligibility.
There are no legal avenues for recovering these payments after closure.
The stimulation check is still available to some populations
Access to exceptional extensions was restricted to small groups, such as military personnel in conflict areas. However, no general expansions have been declared by the IRS.
Experts stress that, in accordance with the tax legislation, April 15, 2025, was a “rigid” date that did not allow for any further claims.
The maximum adjusted gross income (AGI) needed to make a full payment was $150,000 for couples and $75,000 for individuals.
The sum gradually dropped, reaching $80,000 and $160,000, respectively.
In order to maximise assistance for large families, qualified dependents—children under the age of 17 or family members—activated additional payments.
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To notify taxpayers, the agency published notices including Form 1444-C and Letter 6475. It also issued a warning about frauds that used unsolicited messages to claim to give funds.
He also remembered that authentic statements were the only acceptable means of managing credit, not phone calls or emails.
Only until April 15, 2025, did individuals who submitted 2021 returns with credit problems have the opportunity to fix them using Form 1040-X.
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Even the amendments are no longer valid to claim the stimulus after this date. The IRS firmly concluded the procedure by emphasising that the law does not permit exceptions.
