Question

Can I receive either stimulus payments if I was dependent in 2019 but file as independent in 2020?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
January 19, 2021
2 replies
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I was claimed on my parent's 2019 taxes however, I will not be claimed on their 2020 taxes and I will be filing as an independent. Can I still receive the stimulus payments as a taxcredit?

TurboTax Free Edition Online

D

DianeW777

Yes. One eligibility requirement to get a stimulus check is that you cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. If you haven’t received your stimulus check because you were wrongly claimed as a dependent on a 2019 tax return, you will have to wait until 2021 to file a 2020 tax return to get your stimulus check. You will need to file a tax return to get your stimulus payment even of you aren’t required to file a return.

The tax return is equipped to handle the stimulus recovery when you have not received what you are entitled to.

A worksheet will be completed with your return. The Recovery Rebate Credit will cover both the first and second stimulus payments. This will determine the full amount of potential refund you are entitled to based on income and eligible dependents, and will be part of the final combined refund on your return, if applicable.

As far as the return where you were claimed as a dependent last year, they will reconcile their 2020 tax return using the same method to reconcile their stimulus payments.

If you can be claimed as a dependent on a 2020 tax return, you will not receive the $1,200 tax credit in 2021. Following are helpful links about the stimulus payments.

What do I need to know about the coronavirus stimulus package?

How will the stimulus package impact me?

How much stimulus money will I get?

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B

BellMore

I am in the same situation. I was a legitimate dependent in 2019 ( college student). For tax year 2020 Turbotax determined I can no loner be a dependent because I earned too much in 2020. So for tax year 2020 I am an independent. At the end of the Turbotax program it asked me if I got my stimulus checks. I answered "No" since I was not eligible for it. However, Turbotax goes ahead and claims the stimulus credit and gives me the whole $1,800. This seems incorrect to me. Isn't the stimulus payment based on your tax status of 2019? Not on 2020? If anyone could please clarify this?

DMarkM1

No. The calculations are correct. The Recovery Rebate Credit is based on your 2020 tax return. The amounts you are eligible for are based on the stimulus amounts in rounds one and two.

The earlier stimulus payments were advances on the Recovery Rebate Credit. Since the 2020 information was not available then, the 2019 and 2018 returns were used.

Now that 2020 information is becoming available, it will be the baseline.

Here is a link with more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit.

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B

BellMore

Wow. Thank you so much. A separate, but related question, does a CARES ACT emergency grant to a student count as part of the stimulus payment? Turbotax is asking if I got any stimulus. The only thing I got was a CARES ACT emergency grant. Should I enter that amount as a stimulus payment? Or is that something different?