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There are still people waiting for all or part of their first Covid relief payment. Tax experts say it is not too late to request that cash.

“They can get the stimulus payment they are eligible for in the form of a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 taxes,” said Lisa Greene-Lewis, a certified public accountant and TurboTax expert.

Those payments included up to $1,200 per individual or $2,400 per married couple, plus $500 per child under 17. The tax credit would either lower the amount of tax you need to pay, or increase the value of your tax refund.

The easiest way for a taxpayer to get a stimulus payment, or additional payment — if they are, in fact, due more — is to apply on their 2020 tax return, explained Mark Steber, chief tax officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.

“There will be a schedule and line on the tax return to reconcile what they have received so far, and the amount actually due to them based on their 2020 tax return,” Steber said. 

The IRS says that eligible individuals can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. These forms can also be used by people who are not normally required to file tax returns yet are eligible for the credit.

For those concerned about how this might complicate the filing process this year, Greene-Lewis tells filers not to worry because automated tax preparation software will factor this in for you.

“TurboTax has guidance related to stimulus payments and other impacts of Covid-19,” explained Greene-Lewis. “It will ask up front if the filer received a stimulus payment and then calculate the Recovery Rebate Credit based on actual 2020 income.”

Whatever your circumstances, tax experts agree that filing early will be an especially good idea this year.

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