HELP with tax and stimulus payment!

[daniel046 4]

Hey,

So, I came in the US around June 2014 on F1, and has not left the US. I received my SSN around 2017. I did not have any job so did not need to file taxes. However, this year I am filing tax return with my wife who is US Citizen. And, while going through FreeTaxUSA it asked for recovery rebate credit questions and if I have received stimulus payments, but since I never filed tax return before I have not received stimulus payment. So, I said no. And it automatically applied prior stimulus payment amount as a refund on tax return.

So, Am I eligible to receive those stimulus payments? Because, I clearly pass substantial presence test for tax purpose and will be counted as resident alien for tax purpose. And, I have not filed any tax return prior year, and this year I will be putting in $0 as Wages, income, and also claim 1098-T, and recovery rebate credit. However, I will be putting 3k as gain on ETH crypto.

Thanks

[milimelo 4,275]

~Duplicate topic in the AOS forum deleted. Do not post more than once on the same matter. ~ 

[HRQX 4,145]

41 minutes ago, daniel046 said:

So, Am I eligible to receive those stimulus payments?

Yes, you are eligible.

[seekingthetruth 1,220]

1 hour ago, daniel046 said:

Hey,

So, I came in the US around June 2014 on F1, and has not left the US. I received my SSN around 2017. I did not have any job so did not need to file taxes. However, this year I am filing tax return with my wife who is US Citizen. And, while going through FreeTaxUSA it asked for recovery rebate credit questions and if I have received stimulus payments, but since I never filed tax return before I have not received stimulus payment. So, I said no. And it automatically applied prior stimulus payment amount as a refund on tax return.

So, Am I eligible to receive those stimulus payments? Because, I clearly pass substantial presence test for tax purpose and will be counted as resident alien for tax purpose. And, I have not filed any tax return prior year, and this year I will be putting in $0 as Wages, income, and also claim 1098-T, and recovery rebate credit. However, I will be putting 3k as gain on ETH crypto.

Thanks

I'm slightly confused as you said you were filing with your wife (joint return) and then you keep talking about "I".  If you are filing jointly everything is "we" and the stimulus that you are both eligible for is calculated together on the stimulus worksheet.

 

What puzzles me, dependent on your validation of when you married, is why did you not file jointly with your wife in 2019 and before?  If you were married and eligible, you could have saved a lot of money on taxes by filing jointly with her.  You don't need income to file jointly with her. If it is true that you were eligible in 2019, she should file an amended return as joint with you.  It might be thousands of dollars saved.  I am not a licensed tax professional, so if you think you might qualify, it would be worth consulting one.

[daniel046 4]

4 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

I'm slightly confused as you said you were filing with your wife (joint return) and then you keep talking about "I".  If you are filing jointly everything is "we" and the stimulus that you are both eligible for is calculated together on the stimulus worksheet.

 

What puzzles me, dependent on your validation of when you married, is why did you not file jointly with your wife in 2019 and before?  If you were married and eligible, you could have saved a lot of money on taxes by filing jointly with her.  You don't need income to file jointly with her. If it is true that you were eligible in 2019, she should file an amended return as joint with you.  It might be thousands of dollars saved.  I am not a licensed tax professional, so if you think you might qualify, it would be worth consulting one.

Sorry, if I did not clarify it correctly. We got married in 2020 so we can only file jointly together in this year not prior years. And for stimulus my wife has already received all the stimulus checks for her and her son(step-son for me). So, this time it's only me who has not received stimulus checks at all. That is why.

[Wuozopo 4,289]

1 hour ago, daniel046 said:

And, while going through FreeTaxUSA it asked for recovery rebate credit questions and if I have received stimulus payments, but since I never filed tax return before I have not received stimulus payment. So, I said no. And it automatically applied prior stimulus payment amount as a refund on tax return.

That is exactly what should happen. You are eligible.

[seekingthetruth 1,220]

26 minutes ago, daniel046 said:

Sorry, if I did not clarify it correctly. We got married in 2020 so we can only file jointly together in this year not prior years. And for stimulus my wife has already received all the stimulus checks for her and her son(step-son for me). So, this time it's only me who has not received stimulus checks at all. That is why.

That makes perfect sense then.  Enjoy your stimulus!