Under the Biden Administration’s “American Rescue Plan,” adult dependents such as the disabled and college students are eligible for the additional $1,400 in payments.
The “American Rescue Plan” passed in the U.S. Congress provides for additional payments of $1,400 per third stimulus check to each dependent, age 18 or older, in eligible households.
It is precisely because of this change in the provisions for obtaining the dependent credits that some people will have to file taxes this year even though they are not required to do so.
Under the current stimulus law, previously ineligible dependents – such as disabled adults and college students living with their parents – these guardians will now receive the funds if they claim them on their tax return.
This was alerted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in one of its press releases related to the distribution process of the third stimulus check.
“Individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return to be considered for additional payments for dependents as soon as possible,” states an entry on the IRS.gov website last March 22.
Also, tax filers who were caring for elderly dependents should be sure to include that information on their tax return this year to be credited with the additional money.
First and second stimulus checks did not include dependents over the age of majority
In the past two rounds of stimulus checks, funding for dependents was limited to children 17 years of age or younger.
As part of the first round of checks, the CARES Act provided for payments of $500 for up to three minor dependents per household.
In the case of the second round for $600 checks, eligible beneficiaries were supposed to receive $600 per child with no maximum on the number of dependents per household.
Apply for credits due through the “Refund Recovery Credit”.
Taxpayers who did not receive from the IRS the payments corresponding to dependents or the incomplete amount of the first two rounds must request the funds owed through the so-called “Refund Recovery Credit” in their tax return this year.
Since the first round of payments was approved, social media campaigns warned of this limitation in the law and the need for dependents of legal age to be included among the eligibility criteria.
Finally, as part of the Biden Administration’s “American Rescue Plan”, this group was considered eligible for the payments.
Some users on social networks have complained that the money to college students living with their parents should be directed specifically to these young people and not to their parents, who are the ones claiming them as dependents.
However, there is no provision in the law that allows college students to directly claim the payments.