WASHINGTON — Question:
Does everyone need to register online at IRS.Gov by May 5th, in order to receive their stimulus checks?
Answer:
No. Most people do not have to do anything to receive their checks. The deadline applies to those receiving Supplemental Security Income, or VA Benefits, who do not file taxes, and need to alert the IRS about a dependent, in order to get an additional $500.
Sources:
April Walker, Lead Manager for Tax Practice & Ethics for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
Process:
The Verify Team received an email from a viewer who was confused about the May 5th deadline. He sent the following message to be Verified:
"Hello good morning. I have a question. I'm hearing that in order to get your stima (sic) check you have to file your 2019 or 2018 taxes by may 5th is that true?"
To find the answer, the Verify Team looked to the IRS website, which goes into great detail about the process to get a stimulus check. According to the IRS, stimulus checks are being sent to people, who qualify, automatically if they filed taxes in 2018 or 2019.
The deadline to file federal taxes for 2019 is July 15. If someone has not yet filed in 2019, the IRS will assess the 2018 tax returns.
The payments are also going out automatically to those who are receiving benefits, such as Social Security, Disability, SSI, and VA Benefits. Even if these recipients have not filed taxes, the $1,200 checks should be dispersed, so long as their income qualifies.
The May 5th deadline comes into play, when considering people who are receiving SSI or VA Benefits, who have not filed taxes, and are trying to claim a dependent.
In order to get the additional $500, these people must go online to this website, to register using the "non-filers tool." The deadline to do this is noon on May 5th.
Meanwhile, the deadline has already passed for those receiving benefits like Social Security and Disability, who wish to add a dependent. Those people needed to register online by April 22. People in this situation will still be eligible for this money, which they'll get when they file a tax return for 2020.
RELATED: VERIFY: DIY remedies like blowing a hairdryer at your nostrils won't protect against coronavirus