Filing a Claim for a Stimulus Payment

• 1). Add up your income for your 2009 tax return. If you received at least $3000 from work, Social Security or other eligible income sources, you are likely eligible to receive a stimulus payment. The maximum stimulus payment is between $300 and $600 for individual filers and between $600 and $1200 for joint filers, depending on the amount of income reported. Filers with eligible children may receive $300 for each eligible child.
  
  
• 2). Determine if you received your maximum stimulus payment in 2008. You can calculate the amount of your 2008 stimulus payment through the IRS website. Subtract the amount you received in 2008 from the maximum amount for your filing status. The difference between the two figures is what you can claim for 2009.
  
  
• 3). File your tax return as usual. If you are entitled to a stimulus payment and did not receive the maximum stimulus payment in 2008, filing a return in 2009 will entitle you to a stimulus payment in 2009. The deadline for filing a return is Oct. 15, 2009, in order to be eligible for a stimulus payment in 2009.