One Million Americans Are Still Owed Stimulus Checks—Are You One of Them?

Think the era of stimulus checks is over? Think again. More than a million Americans are still sitting on unclaimed payments worth up to $1,400 each, and the IRS just issued a final reminder: the clock is ticking. If you didn’t file a federal return in 2021, you might be entitled to cash you never even knew existed—but after April 15, 2025, that money vanishes for good.

This is the last batch of pandemic-era stimulus payments, and the IRS has already started sending them out. Some lucky taxpayers will see direct deposits, while others will receive paper checks in the mail. But don’t expect the IRS to track you down—you have to claim what’s yours before it’s too late.

The amount you’re owed depends on your 2021 adjusted gross income (AGI). If you made $75,000 or less as a single filer (or $150,000 for joint filers), you likely qualify for the full amount. Even dependents were eligible for $1,400 each under the program. The problem? Many people either didn’t file a return that year or missed out on the credit entirely.

And here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about stimulus checks. The IRS also estimates that over 1.1 million Americans have unclaimed tax refunds from 2021, totaling more than $1 billion in lost money. The median refund for these non-filers is around $781, and many lower-income workers could be missing out on even more, thanks to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which was worth up to $6,728 for qualifying families.

So why are so many people leaving money on the table? Some may not realize they were eligible. Others might not have filed because they earned too little to be required to. And for many, tracking down old paperwork just seems like too much of a hassle. But with the IRS offering multiple ways to recover tax documents—including online transcripts and employer requests—you still have options to claim what’s rightfully yours.

The reality is, the IRS typically only allows a three-year window to file for refunds or credits, meaning Tax Day 2025 is your absolute last chance. If you don’t act by then, that money disappears—gone forever, right back into the government’s pocket.

With less than a month left, the question isn’t whether you’re owed money—it’s whether you’ll let Uncle Sam keep it.