Many Veterans Will Get Automatic Stimulus Checks

The IRS announced that veterans and their beneficiaries who receive compensation and pension benefit payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will receive a $1,200 stimulus payment with no further action needed on their part. (Although the timing of the payments is still undetermined.)

Your 2020 Stimulus Check: How Much? When? And Other Questions Answered

Up until now, it was thought that VA benefit recipients who didn't file a tax return for 2018 or 2019 would have to use the IRS's "Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here" tool to provide information necessary to process their stimulus check payment. However, the IRS will now be able to get most of the information it needs from the VA.

For VA benefit recipients with children 16 years old or younger, an extra step is needed to add $500 per child onto their automatic payment of $1,200 if they didn't file a 2018 or 2019 tax return. These veterans should use the online tool for non-filers as soon as possible to let the IRS know about their children. Veterans who do not provide their information to the IRS soon will receive their $500 per child at a later date, depending on when they complete the registration process.

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6 Money-Smart Ways to Spend Your Stimulus Check

VA benefit recipients will generally receive the automatic payments in the same manner that they receive their current benefits. In other words, if VA benefits are directly deposited into your bank account, then the stimulus payment will be electronically paid, too. If you receive your benefits by paper check, then you'll also receive a stimulus check.

Many non-tax filing VA beneficiaries have already used the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" tool to provide basic personal information to receive their payments. According to the IRS, there will be no interruption to payments being processed. Veterans are also encouraged to continue providing information and tracking their payments through the "Get My Payment" tool. (For information about this tool, see Track Your Stimulus Check with the IRS's "Get My Payment" Tool.)

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Rocky Mengle was a Senior Tax Editor for Kiplinger from October 2018 to January 2023 with more than 20 years of experience covering federal and state tax developments. Before coming to Kiplinger, Rocky worked for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, and Kleinrock Publishing, where he provided breaking news and guidance for CPAs, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals. He has also been quoted as an expert by USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, Accounting Today, and other media outlets. Rocky holds a law degree from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in History from Salisbury University.