Recovery Rebate Calculator: Step 0 (start over)
To complete this questionaire, you will need your 2008 1040 form. This website will try to help you figure out if you are owed any recovery rebate credit due to not receiving the full amount in the form of a stimulus check last year.
If all this is too confusing, you can simply write "RRC" on the dotted line to the left of line 70, and the IRS will calculate the value for you.
Any errors or decisions you make based on this information is your responsibility, and you won't sue me, etc. etc. (and of course, if I had any money worth suing over, I wouldn't have been wasting my time trying to figure out if I could squeeze a couple dollars out of the IRS...)
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If you see anything wrong with this calculator, or have any questions, please contact me and see if I can help you.
This credit is figured in the same manner as the economic stimulus payment you may
have received in 2008 except that your 2008 tax information is used to figure this
credit. Your 2007 tax information was used to figure your economic stimulus payment. You may be able to take this credit only if:
- You did not get an economic stimulus payment, or
- Your economic stimulus payment was less than $600 ($1,200 if married filing jointly for 2007) plus $300 for each qualifying child you had for 2008.
However, you do not qualify for this credit if all of the following apply.
- You received an economic stimulus payment of $300 ($600 if married filing jointly for 2007) before any offset (see Refund Offset on page 63),
- Your 2008 tax on Form 1040, line 46, is $300 or less ($600 or less if married filing jointly for 2008)
- Your 2008 filing status is the same as your 2007 filing status, and
- You do not have any qualifying children.
This site is based on the 1040 instructions, page 62, and strives to be as accurate as possible, however, inaccuracies, misunderstandings, etc. may occur. Additionally, I am not an accountant, tax professional or in any other way authorized by the IRS by providing this information. This questionnaire is for your information only, and you, yourself are responsible for any information gathered, implied, etc. from this site. Please check with an accountant or other tax professional for advice as to how to properly calculate the recovery rebate credit. Thanks. Enjoy.