Stimulus payments go to most people with a Social Security number and a filing history, but some groups are excluded by law or circumstance
Not everyone who files taxes or receives government benefits gets a stimulus payment. The IRS uses specific rules about income, residency, and tax filing status to decide who receives money and who does not. Some people are excluded entirely by law. Others miss payments because of paperwork problems, address changes, or account issues that can be fixed.
Understanding who does not receive stimulus money—and why—helps you figure out whether you should expect a payment, whether something went wrong with yours, or whether a different program might help instead.
Key Takeaways
- Non-citizens without a valid Social Security number cannot receive stimulus payments, even if they file taxes or have a dependent.
- People claimed as dependents on someone else's tax return do not get their own stimulus payment, though the person claiming them may receive an additional amount.
- Incarcerated individuals are barred from receiving stimulus payments while in prison or jail.
- High earners above the income phase-out threshold receive no payment, though the threshold varies by filing status and year.
- People who do not file taxes and have no income record with the IRS may not receive a payment unless they take action to register.
Non-citizens and Social Security number requirements
You must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) issued by the Social Security Administration to receive a stimulus payment. This is a hard requirement—there are no exceptions. If you do not have an SSN, you will not receive a payment, even if you file taxes, have a job, or have dependents.
Immigrants with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) instead of SSNs are not may be able to access. This applies regardless of immigration status or how long you have lived in the United States. Spouses and dependents without SSNs also cannot receive payments or cause additional payments to be issued.
If you are a non-citizen with an SSN—meaning you have a work visa, green card, or other status that qualifies you for an SSN—you are generally may be able to access if you meet the other requirements (income level, filing status, and so on).
Dependents cannot claim their own stimulus payment
If you are claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, you do not receive your own stimulus payment. This applies even if you are an adult, earn your own income, or file your own tax return. The person claiming you as a dependent receives an additional amount per dependent instead.
This rule has caused confusion for college students, adult children living with parents, and people in other situations where dependency claims are involved. If you believe you were incorrectly claimed as a dependent, you can file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to correct it, but this must happen before the stimulus payment is issued. Once a payment is sent to the person who claimed you, reversing it is difficult.
If you are no longer a dependent but were claimed in error on the most recent return used to calculate stimulus payments, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to report the issue.
Income limits and phase-out thresholds
Stimulus payments decrease as income rises and stop entirely once you exceed the phase-out threshold. The threshold depends on your filing status and varies by year and payment round. For example, in 2021, the threshold was $80,000 for single filers, $160,000 for married filing jointly, and $120,000 for heads of household—but these numbers changed in other years.
The IRS uses your most recent tax return on file to calculate your income. If your income has changed since you last filed, or if you filed a return for a year when your income was higher than it actually is now, you may not receive a payment even though your current income qualifies. You cannot request a recalculation based on current income alone.
If you did not file a tax return for the year the IRS used to calculate your payment, the agency may have no income record for you and may not send a payment at all, even if your income is below the threshold.
Incarcerated individuals are excluded
People who are incarcerated in federal, state, or local prisons or jails do not receive stimulus payments. This applies to anyone serving time for any offense, regardless of sentence length. The IRS coordinates with the Bureau of Prisons and state corrections departments to identify incarcerated individuals and prevent payments from being issued.
If you received a stimulus payment while incarcerated and it was deposited into an account you controlled, the IRS may pursue recovery of the funds. If you believe a payment was issued to you in error while you were in custody, contact the IRS Criminal Investigation division or your local IRS office.
People with no tax filing history or income record
The IRS relies on tax returns to identify who is may be able to access for stimulus payments. If you have never filed a tax return and have no income record with the IRS, the agency has no way to know you exist as a taxpayer. You will not automatically receive a payment.
This affects people with very low income, people who work entirely in cash, people who are self-employed and have not filed, and people who have recently moved to the United States. Even if your income is well below the threshold, you must have a record on file for the IRS to send you money.
To register for a stimulus payment if you have no filing history, you can file a tax return for the relevant year (even if you owe no tax) or use the IRS's Non-Filer tool if one was available during that payment period. The tool is not always open, so check the IRS website or call 1-800-829-1040 to confirm whether registration is still possible for the payment round you are waiting for.
Deceased individuals and estates
Stimulus payments issued to people who died before the payment was sent must be returned. If a payment was deposited into a bank account after the account holder's death, the bank may freeze or reverse the deposit. If you received a stimulus payment for a deceased family member, do not spend it—contact the IRS to arrange return of the funds.
If the deceased person's estate is being settled, the executor or administrator should report the payment to the probate court and follow state law for handling the funds. Keeping a payment issued to a deceased person can result in IRS collection action against the estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a stimulus payment if I am a permanent resident but do not have a Social Security number yet?
No. You must have an SSN to receive a stimulus payment. If you are a permanent resident waiting for an SSN to be issued, you are not may be able to access until you receive one. Once you have an SSN and file a tax return, you may be able to receive stimulus payments from future rounds if they occur.
What if my income was higher when I filed taxes but is lower now?
The IRS uses the income on your most recent filed tax return to calculate your payment. If your income has dropped since then, you cannot request a recalculation. Your only option is to file an amended return for that tax year if you believe the original return was incorrect.
I was claimed as a dependent but I think that was wrong. Can I still get the stimulus payment?
If the payment has already been issued to the person who claimed you, it is very difficult to recover. If you have not yet received a payment and believe the dependent claim was incorrect, file an amended return (Form 1040-X) immediately. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to explain the situation and ask whether an amended return can stop a payment before it is sent.
I never filed taxes. How do I get a stimulus payment?
File a tax return for the year the payment was based on, even if you owe no tax. You can file past-year returns at any time. If the IRS still has funds available for that payment round, filing a return may trigger a payment. Call 1-800-829-1040 to confirm whether the payment period is still open.
Can I get a stimulus payment if I am in jail?
No. You are not may be able to access for a stimulus payment while you are incarcerated. If you receive a payment while in custody, it must be returned to the IRS. After you are released, you may be may be able to access for future stimulus payments if they are issued.