Stimulus Checks May Still Be Available for Expats — Here’s How To Collect the Money
For American expats living overseas, it’s not always easy keeping up with the goings-on back in the home country. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when so much information was pouring out of so many places that expats might have missed the fact that they qualified for U.S. government stimulus checks. If you are (or were) an expat who never received a stimulus payment, you still might have time to collect.
Individual expats could be eligible to claim thousands of dollars in stimulus payments, according to a blog earlier this year from Bright! Tax, a provider of online U.S. expat tax services. Three rounds of stimulus payments were made in 2020 and 2021 that provided up to $3,400 per individual and $2,500 eligible child. Here’s a quick reminder of how they broke down:
The CARES Act (March 2020): Provided up to $1,200 per adult or $2,400 for married couples filing jointly.
The Tax Relief Act (December 2020): Provided up to $600 per adult and qualifying child.
The American Rescue Plan Act (March 2021): Provided up to $1,400 for eligible individuals and $2,800 for married couples filing jointly.
Eligibility for this money depended on your income and other factors, but the programs were available to Americans living both inside the U.S. and overseas. American expats living abroad are still eligible for stimulus payments, according to CPA and Bright! Tax CEO Katelynn Minott. To claim all three, you must file both your 2020 and 2021 tax returns.
“The IRS usually gives individuals up to three years to file the relevant returns for which the claim is being made,” Minott wrote on her blog.
For the two stimulus payments claimable on the 2020 tax return, you have until June 15, 2024, to file your returns, according to Minott. For the $1,400 American Rescue Plan claimable on the 2021 tax return, you have until June 15, 2025.
Different Deadlines? Beat Both
A separate blog on the Expat US Tax site, published in October 2023, had slightly different deadlines. According to that blog, the filing deadline for the first and second stimulus payments claimed on your 2020 U.S. federal tax return is May 17, 2024. For the third stimulus payment claimed on your 2021 U.S. federal tax return, the filing deadline is April 18, 2025.
The differences in filing deadlines could be related to extensions that allow you to get a little extra time to file. If you’re behind on your tax filing obligations, there’s a way to catch up penalty-free and claim any stimulus payments or relevant tax credits. Your best move is to contact a tax professional who specializes in returns for U.S. expats.
One thing to keep in mind is that the IRS will “default” to the most recent address they have for you, which might be a U.S. P.O. Box or a relative’s residence, according to Jonathan Rose, an IRS Enrolled Agent with 12 years of expat tax experience.
“To avoid complications, it’s advisable to keep your address information current with the IRS,” Rose wrote for Expat US Tax.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Stimulus Checks May Still Be Available for Expats — Here’s How To Collect the Money
