Third Economic Impact Payment | Internal Revenue Service

The third round of Economic Impact Payments was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as an advance payment of the tax year 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit.

The IRS started sending the third Economic Impact Payments to eligible individuals in March 2021 and continued sending payments throughout the year as tax returns were processed.

The IRS has issued all third Economic Impact Payments and related plus-up payments. Most eligible people already received their Economic Impact Payments.

You may be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 federal tax return if you didn't qualify for a third Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amount.

Amount and Status of Your Third Payment

You can no longer use the Get My Payment application to check your payment status.

To find the amount of the third payment, create or view your online account or refer to IRS Notice 1444-C, which we mailed after sending your payment. We’re also sending Letter 6475 through March 2022 confirming the total amount of the third Economic Impact Payment and any plus-up payments you were issued for tax year 2021.

You can also securely access your individual tax information with an IRS online account to view your total Economic Impact Payment amounts under the 2021 tax year tab. You will need the total of the third payment and any plus-up payments you received to accurately calculate the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 federal tax return in 2022.

Plus-Up Payments

We sent additional or plus-up payments to people who:

• Already received a third Economic Impact Payment based on a 2019 tax return or information received from SSA, RRB or VA, and
• Were eligible for a plus-up payment based on their 2020 tax return

Do not call the IRS as our phone assistors don't have information beyond what is available on IRS.gov.

For more information, see the Questions and Answers about the Third Economic Payment.

Eligibility

Most eligible people didn't need to take additional action to get a third payment.

Generally, someone was eligible for the full amount of the third Economic Impact Payment if they:

• are a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien (and their spouse if filing a joint return), and
• are not a dependent of another taxpayer, and
• had adjusted gross income (AGI) that is not more than:
  • $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower
  • $112,500 if filing as head of household or
  • $75,000 for any other filing status

Payments were phased out – or reduced – above those AGI amounts. This means people did not receive a payment if their AGI was at least:

• $160,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower
• $120,000 if filing as head of household
• $80,000 for any other filing status

Amount of Third Economic Impact Payment

The third Economic Impact Payment amount was:

• $1,400 for an eligible individual with a valid Social Security number ($2,800 for married couples filing a joint return if both spouses have a valid Social Security number or if one spouse has a valid Social Security number and one spouse was an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the taxable year)
• $1,400 for each qualifying dependent with a valid Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number issued by the IRS

Getting Your Payment

Most eligible individuals received their third Economic Impact Payment automatically and didn't need to take additional action. The IRS used available information to determine your eligibility and issue the third payment to people who:

• filed a 2020 tax return
• filed a 2019 tax return if the 2020 tax return had not been submitted or processed yet
• did not file a 2020 or 2019 tax return but registered for the first Economic Impact Payment with the Non-Filers tool in 2020
• registered through the 2021 Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool
• are federal benefit recipients who do not usually file a tax return.

Third Payments Differed from Previous Economic Impact Payments

The third payments differed from the earlier payments in several respects:

• Income phaseout amounts changed. Payments were reduced for individuals with adjusted gross income of more than $75,000 (or $150,000 if married filing jointly). The reduced payments ended at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married filing jointly. People above these levels did not receive any payment.
• Payment amounts are different. Most families received $1,400 per person, including all dependents claimed on their tax return. Typically, this means a single person with no dependents received $1,400, while married filers with two dependents received $5,600.
• Qualifying dependents expanded. Unlike the first two payments, the third payment was not restricted to children under 17. Eligible individuals received a payment based on all of their qualifying dependents claimed on their return, including older relatives like college students, adults with disabilities, parents and grandparents.

Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return

People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal benefits may qualify for stimulus payments. This includes those without a permanent address, an income or bank account.

If you're eligible and didn't get a first, second or third Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts, you may be eligible for a Recovery Rebate Credit, but you'll need to file a tax return.

More information

• View Your Account Information
• Recovery Rebate Credit
• 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit Questions and Answers
• Questions and Answers about the Third Economic Impact Payment