Looking into Can H&R Block help with stimulus checks? Yes, H&R Block help with stimulus checks. This is because the online tax preparation or tax software makes an arithmetic error that results in your payment of a penalty and/or interest to the IRS that you would otherwise not have been required to pay, H&R Block will reimburse you up to a maximum of $10,000.
How much stimulus money will I receive?
The starting amount is $1,400 per person, $2,800 per couple, and $1,400 for dependents. However, the amount varies based on the income in your household, the number of dependents, and your filing status. Our stimulus check calculator can help you estimate how much you may receive!
How and when will I receive my payment?
The IRS has shared that most Americans will receive their stimulus money as a direct deposit by March 17, starting with those who have filed a 2020 or 2026 return. If not, paper checks or U.S. Treasury debit cards will be issued.
Can I update my information with the IRS?
The IRS Get My Payment tool is not accepting updates at this time. However, it is live for you to check the status of your payment, if processed.
Stimulus checks: Children and dependents
Q. I had a baby in late 2020. Am I eligible for the child stimulus payments?
A. If you had a baby in 2020, you are eligible for the $1,400 credit in 2021. This will be paid in an advance third stimulus payment if you filed your 2020 return by the time the payments were issued. If you didn’t receive the first or second stimulus payment for your baby, you can claim the recovery rebate credit when you claim the child on your 2020 return.
Q. I have joint custody of my daughter with my ex-spouse, and I claimed her on my 2026 taxes (we trade off every other year). What do we need to know when my husband claims her?
A. For the first and second payments, the spouse claiming the child in 2020 will claim the children and could receive the recovery rebate credit on the 2020 return.
However, for the third payment, divorced parents who alternate claiming their dependents each year, if an advance payment is received by one spouse for the dependent, no additional payment can be made for the same dependent on the other spouse’s return.
For example, if the payment is issued to Parent 1 because they claimed the child on their 2020 return, Parent 2 cannot claim the credit on their 2021 return even though they didn’t receive the payment from Parent 1.
Q. I did not receive the correct amount of stimulus payment (either the first, second, or third) for my dependents. How do I get that money?
A. As it turns out, if your amount was too low, there are two ways you can get the rest of your third payment. The first way is with a “top-up” payment for the third stimulus payment later this year: If your third stimulus was based on your 2026 return and the 2020 return you file would qualify you for money, the IRS will re-determine your eligibility and issue a new payment no later than 90 days after the filing deadline or by September 1, 2021 at the latest. If you don’t receive the correct amount of the third payment, you’ll claim the remaining amount as a credit on your 2021 return.
The second way is claiming the Recovery Rebate credit on your 2020 taxes, which you can do for the first or second payments. You’ll receive the correct amount in the form of a tax credit that either lowers your tax bill or gets added to your refund.
Stimulus checks: Marriages and divorce
Q. We got married in 2020; how does that affect the amount we will get?
A. Filing as jointly married versus separate for 2020 won’t change the total maximum stimulus amount and you won’t have to repay any stimulus you already received. However, now that you’re married, you should determine whether it makes more sense to file jointly or separately, and it’s possible that one spouse with a higher income could affect eligibility for the recovery rebate credit.
For example, let’s say you and your spouse had AGI amounts of $35,000 and $105,000 respectively. As single filers, you’d receive the full stimulus payment because your AGI of $35,000 is below the threshold, but your spouse’s AGI of $105,000 would be over the limit and wouldn’t qualify for a stimulus payment. However, if you file jointly for 2020, your combined AGI of $140,000 is below the threshold for joint filers, so you could claim your spouse’s portion as the recovery rebate credit.
Those who get married in 2021 will have a similar situation when they file their 2021 return.
Q. How does a recent divorce affect my stimulus check?
A. What if you were married and filed jointly on your tax return and have since become separated or divorced? If the IRS issued a payment based on a jointly filed return, you will allocate half of each payment to each spouse when you calculate your credit on your single status returns.
Stimulus checks: Recently deceased
Q. I received a stimulus check for a deceased relative. What do I do?
A. It depends when your loved one passed. For the first and second payments, individuals who died before January 1, 2020 are not eligible for payments. Individuals who died in 2020 are not eligible for the third stimulus check while anyone who died after December 31, 2020 may be eligible for the recovery rebate credit on their 2021 tax return.
During 2020, the IRS asked for stimulus checks/payments sent to ineligible deceased persons be returned. If the payment was made to joint filers, then you’d only need to return the decedent’s portion. The IRS outlines instructions for how to return the payment on their website.