Stimulus Checks Waiting For People With Little Income And No Income
by Terina Allen
People who have no income at all are eligible to get stimulus checks. People with low income are eligible to get stimulus checks. Homeless people are eligible to get stimulus checks. And, yes, people who aren’t legally required to file federal taxes can get a $1,200 stimulus check.
I read a comment on a Facebook post yesterday that told low-income people that they aren’t eligible to get stimulus checks because they didn’t pay taxes. The post went on to say that the only people who can get the $1,200 stimulus checks are those who have actually paid taxes into the federal system. This is false and incorrect information. Here’s the truth.
The IRS is urging people with little and no income to sign up for a stimulus check.
Just Friday, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “The IRS is working hard to find new ways for people who don't have a filing requirement to receive their Economic Impact Payment." The Economic Impact Payment is the government’s official name for stimulus check.
Take note: the IRS is urging you to sign up to receive a stimulus check if you are low income or have no income at all and are not required to file taxes. Officials are reaching out to underserved communities and those who don’t normally file income taxes. If this sounds like it fits you, don’t miss out on getting your stimulus check. If it doesn’t fit you, but you know people who fit this category, share this information with them so that they do not miss out on getting their stimulus checks.
Who’s eligible to receive a full or reduced stimulus check?
If your income—including no income at all—fits within the income limits outlined below, you meet the income requirement to get a stimulus check. There is absolutely no requirement in the law that you must actually earn an income or pay taxes in order to get a stimulus check. According to the IRS, U.S. citizens, permanent residents and qualifying resident aliens who meet the following guidelines are eligible for a stimulus check.
- You have a valid social security number,
- You cannot be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer, and
- You have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less if single; $112,500 or less if head of household; $150,000 or less if married filing a joint return.
- Reduced payments are available for those who earn more than the above amounts but still earn less than $99,000 per year or less for individuals, $136,500 per year or less for head of household and $198,000 per year or less for married filing jointly.
What is the Non-Filers tool?
In order to learn if you can get a stimulus check and to register to get one, you need to use the Non-Filers tool which was specifically created so that low-income (and no-income) U.S. citizens and qualifying resident aliens can register to get a stimulus check. The Non-Filers tool is free, and it provides a place for people who aren’t required to file 2018 or 2019 taxes to submit their information to the IRS. Millions of low-income and no-income people aren’t required to file taxes but don’t know that they can get a stimulus check.
Use the Non-Filers tool if
- you didn’t file any taxes—and aren’t legally required to do so—for 2018 or 2019.
- you are a low-income individual who earned between zero and less than $12,200 in income, or you are a low-income married couple who earned between zero and less than $24,400 in income.
- you don’t receive Social Security Retirement, Disability (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Survivor benefits.
- you don’t receive Veteran’s benefits.
- you don’t receive Railroad Retirement benefits.
If you can answer yes to all of the above categories, you should use the Non-Filers tool to get your stimulus check.
Special Note: The IRS says that SSI and VA benefit recipients who have qualifying children under age 17 must provide information through the Non-Filers tool. So, in cases where you actually do received SSI or VA benefits but you also have qualifying children, you do need to use the Non-Filers tool if you want to get the stimulus check for your child(ren) which is an additional $500 per child.
Don’t use the Non-Filers tool if
The IRS says that “most eligible U.S. taxpayers will automatically receive their” stimulus checks without doing anything other than filing their regular taxes or because they already receive government funds through a program like Social Security. So if you fall into one of the below categories, you don’t need to use the Non-Filers tool because your stimulus check should be sent to you automatically.
- you are legally required to file taxes—even if you didn’t—for 2018 or 2019. If you earned more than $12,200 (for individuals) or $24,400 (for married couples), you are likely required to file taxes. So if you are late in your tax filing, you need to file your taxes, and you should not attempt to use the Non-Filers tool.
- you do receive Social Security Retirement, Disability (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Survivor benefits
- you do receive Veteran’s benefits
- you do receive Railroad Retirement benefits
Special Note: If you receive federal benefits such as SSI or VA and also have qualifying children, you do need to use the Non-Filers tool because the IRS won’t have what it needs to account for your qualifying children. So if you want to receive the $500 per child stimulus payment, submit information about your children through this Non-Filers tool.
How long will it take to use the Non-Filer tool?
It only takes a few minutes. You should click to go here, and then scroll down until you see a blue button that says “Enter your information.” When you click on the button, you’ll be taken to a different page where you should click the “Get Started” button to begin the process. All you have to do is set up an account, and put in basic details like social security number, name, address, dependents, etc. If you don’t have a bank account, your stimulus check can be sent to you via U.S. mail instead of via direct deposit.
If you are low income and aren’t legally required to file taxes, go ahead and submit your information to the IRS. Even if you end being deemed ineligible, it only takes a few minutes of your time.
If you are a low-income earner or a no-income earner, use the Non-Filer tool.
Yes, you absolutely can get a stimulus check even if you earn very little income, if you don’t earn any income at all and even if you happen to be homeless. So long as you earn too little to be legally required to file federal income taxes, you could be eligible to get a stimulus check, and the IRS is actually urging low-income individuals and non-filers to sign up and register to receive a $1,200 stimulus check.
Remember, if you are required to file taxes for 2018 or 2019 but haven’t yet done so, don’t use the Non-Filers tool. Instead, file your taxes (at least just file your 2018 taxes), and the IRS will send you a stimulus check if you are eligible. Also, don’t pay attention to random social media posts about who is and who isn’t eligible to receive a stimulus check.
Prisoners are not eligible.
The exception is prisoners. If the reason you didn’t earn income was because you were in prison, you won’t be eligible to get a stimulus check.
Contact the IRS with questions.
If you are sure that the IRS has your banking details for a direct deposit payment and/or it has your current mailing address but you still haven’t received your stimulus check, contact the IRS to check the status. You can check the status of your stimulus payment online by using this IRS “Get My Payment” tool. You can also call the IRS as it recently announced it was hiring 3,500 telephone representatives to filter and answer stimulus check questions. If you prefer to call, you can reach an economic impact payment representative at (800) 919-9835. An alternative option is to dial the IRS customer service main line at (800) 829-1040.
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