This Stimulus Check Strategy Is Nearly a No-Brainer -- But Only for a Select Few

The federal government has responded aggressively to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, doing what it can to help ordinary Americans make ends meet during the most difficult of times. Millions of people who've had to stay home from work or have lost their jobs entirely are counting on the $1,200 stimulus checks that the government is in the process of sending out. For many, the money will be a desperately needed lifeline to pay essential bills.

However, not everyone qualifies to receive a stimulus check, and those who've gotten left out have scurried to find loopholes that can let them get at least some money from the federal government. Married couples in particular are looking at whether they can benefit from filing separate tax returns in an attempt to work around the income limitations surrounding the payments. Filing separately typically doesn't work well, resulting in greater amounts of tax owed or failing to unlock any substantial stimulus payment. However, there's one set of circumstances in which couples who would otherwise get nothing might be able to get a stimulus check by doing separate returns.

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