You Receive Social Security Benefits
Unfortunately, for now at least, the Get My Payment app cannot track payments for people who receive Social Security, Social Security disability benefits, Railroad Retirement benefits, or veterans benefits. In the words of the IRS on the Get My Payments page, “If you are an SSA or RRB Form 1099 recipient or SSI or VA benefit recipient, your information is not yet available in this application.”
What Does Need More Information Mean
Others may see a “need more information” message, which the tax agency said means the payment was returned to the IRS because the U.S. Postal Service wasn’t able to deliver the check. In that case, people can use the “Get My Payment” site to provide the IRS with bank information but the tax agency said that only people who get the “need more information” message will be able to add their bank information to the portal.
Nonfilers: You May Need To File Your 2020 Tax Return This Year To Get The Right Stimulus Check Amount
With the second payment, the IRS used your 2019 tax returns to determine eligibility. Nonfilers, who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019, may still be eligible to receive the first stimulus check under the CARES Act. And this group will qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:
- You’re over 24, you’re not claimed as a dependent and your income is less than $12,200.
- You’re married filing jointly and together your income is less than $24,400.
- You have no income.
- You receive federal benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance. See below for more on SSDI.
Also Check: Where Is My First Stimulus Check
If I Am The Custodial Parent And Ive Neverreceivedtanf Or Medicaid For My Child Will I Receive Any Money From A Tax Return Intercepted By The Federal Government From The Noncustodial Parent On My Case
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Maybe.If the noncustodial parent owes you child support arrears and the total arrears onall ofthe noncustodial parents cases meets the threshold amounts indicated in Questions #2, then you should be entitled to receive monies intercepted from the noncustodial parents tax return. The amount of the money you receive will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of the tax return intercepted, the amounts owed to you in your case, and the number of other child support cases in which the noncustodial parent owes child support arrears. You must also have a full-service case open with the Child Support Division to be entitled to receive any monies from an intercepted federal tax return.
What To Do If You Cant Find Your Stimulus Check

If your IRS online account shows that you should have received a stimulus payment, but you didnât get it, thereâs a chance it could have been lost in the mail. Or you might have thrown away the prepaid debit card you received.
If you lost your stimulus check or suspect it was stolen, you can request the IRS trace your payment. If the IRS determines your check hasnât been cashed, it will issue a credit to your account. It canât reissue your payment, but you can claim the payment on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit worksheet.
If a trace is initiated and the IRS determines that the check wasnât cashed, the IRS will credit your account for that payment. However, the IRS canât reissue your payment. Instead, you will need to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if eligible.
If you lost your EIP card, a prepaid debit card on which some individuals received their stimulus payment, contact card issuer MetaBank to request a replacement.
Don’t Miss: First Stimulus Check Amount 2020
What To Do About A Missing Or Stolen Eip Debit Card
At least 5 million people will receive their third stimulus check on a prepaid debit card called the Economic Impact Payment Card, instead of a paper check. For the third payment, the EIP card arrives in a white envelope sent from “Economic Impact Payment Card.” The letter will have a US Department of the Treasury seal.
The card has the Visa name on the front and the issuing bank, MetaBank®, N.A., on the back. Information included with the EIP Card explains that this is your Economic Impact Payment. If you receive an EIP Card, visit EIPcard.com for more information.
If you’ve misplaced or thrown away your card, the EIP card service has an FAQ on what to do if your card is lost or stolen. You can also call 800-240-8100 to request a replacement. It’s free, according to a spokesperson for the Treasury Department. To request a new card, press option 2 when prompted.
However, the EIP card website says, “Your Card will be deactivated to prevent anyone from using it and a new replacement Card will be ordered. Fees may apply.” We recommend calling the above number for a lost or stolen card and speaking to a representative. If you may have lost or thrown away a paper check, read the mail fraud section below.
Who Is Eligible For The Recovery Rebate Credit
According to the IRS, most people who were eligible for the third round of payments have already received their stimulus checks but there are a few situations why someone might not have received it or received the wrong amount. For example:
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You’re claiming a new dependent in 2021 .
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Your marital status changed in 2021.
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Your adjusted gross income from 2019 or 2020 was high enough to make you ineligible for a stimulus check, but your 2021 AGI is now lower and within the qualifying threshold.
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You did not have a Social Security number but received one by the 2021 tax deadline.
Recommended Reading: Who Is Eligible For The Stimulus Check
The Irs Classifies Me As An Older Adult What Should I Know
Many older adults, including retirees over age 65, received a first stimulus check under the CARES Act and were eligible for the second one — and are for the third as well. For older adults and retired people, factors like your tax filings, your AGI, your pension and if you’re part of the SSI or SSDI program will affect whether you receive a stimulus payment.
The third stimulus check makes older adult dependents eligible to receive more money on behalf of the household. Here’s how to determine if you qualify for your own stimulus check or count as a dependent.
How much stimulus money you could get depends on who you are.
How Will Child Support Arrears And Payments Be Impacted With Stimulus Check
I seem to be getting a lot of comments on this question around child support. The IRS has confirmed that the stimulus check payment will NOT be offset or intercepted for those owe tax, have a payment agreement or owe other federal or state debts. It will however be OFFSET for past-due child support. This is because a court order for child support continues until it is modified or terminated. Similarly with unemployment compensation stimulus increases, your child support may be withheld from the UI payments. You will get a notice from BFS if this happens.
Also Check: When Will We Get The New Stimulus Check
What Is A Stimulus Check
A stimulus check is a check sent to a taxpayer by the U.S. government. Stimulus checks are intended to stimulate the economy by providing consumers with some spending money. When you spend this money, it boosts consumption and drives revenues at retailers and manufacturers and thus boosts the economy.
The stimulus payment is actually a refundable tax credit. This means the government gives you money, even if you didnt pay anything in taxes. Normally, you get money from tax credits when you file your tax return in April. Because of the COVID-19 emergency, the government wants you to be able to use the money now when you need it, instead of waiting until next April to receive it.
Traditional tax credits are a way of decreasing the amount of tax you pay the government. For most tax credits, you will not get a check. The IRS just makes a note that you have paid too much tax. This extra money can then be paid out to you in cash, or be used by the IRS to pay outstanding debts.
Research done by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the means of delivery of fiscal stimulus makes a difference to the overall spending patterns of consumers. Receiving a stimulus check increased consumer spending. Not only did this give a lifeline to those in need, but it also boosted the economy.
The IRS is using your previous tax returns to see whether you qualify for a stimulus check. But dont worry, the IRS is not going to ask for the money back once you file your 2020 taxes.
State Stimulus Checks: Who Is Getting A Payment In 2022
Residents in these states are getting stimulus checks. Find out when and who qualifies.
Dan Avery
Writer
Dan is a writer on CNET’s How-To team. His byline has appeared in Newsweek, NBC News, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, The Daily Mail and elsewhere. He is a crossword junkie and is interested in the intersection of tech and marginalized communities.
The Massachusetts State Legislature is working to pass a one-off tax rebate of $250 for eligible individual filers and $500 for eligible married couples who file jointly. If the bill clears both houses and is signed by Gov. Charlie Baker, payments could be sent out before the end of September.
Baker told reporters on July 8 that he “will certainly sign” the bill, but he hopes it’s just the start of more tax relief efforts, “given that the cost of everything has gone up.”
Massachusetts is just the latest state to address rampant inflation and the growing threat of recession with a plan to send a tax rebate check to eligible residents. The federal government issued three rounds of stimulus checks during the height of the pandemic. It’s unlikely to send more this year, but at least 17 states have issued or are in the process of sending out rebate payments.
Also Check: When Will Ssi Get Their Third Stimulus Check 2021
How Do I Know If I Missed Or Someone Stole My Stimulus Check
Watch your mailbox. The IRS says it’s going to mail out letters within 15 days of making people’s payments, complete with “information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment.” The note will go to taxpayers’ last known address.
So, if you get a letter but didn’t receive a direct deposit or paper check, you may want to contact the IRS. And remember: The IRS will not call, text or email you “asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic impact payment or your refund faster,” according to a news release. That’s a scam.
Citizenship: Does The Irs Consider My Household Mixed

In the $900 billion stimulus package from December, a US citizen and noncitizen spouse were both eligible for a payment as long as they both had Social Security numbers. This has been referred to as a “mixed-status” household when it comes to citizenship. Households with mixed US citizenship were left out of the first check.
The new stimulus bill includes all mixed-status households where just one member has a Social Security number for a third stimulus check. That potentially includes families with citizen children and noncitizen parents.
In the CARES Act from last March, households with a person who wasn’t a US citizen weren’t eligible to receive a stimulus check, even if one spouse and a child were US citizens.
Don’t Miss: Fourth Stimulus Checks Tax Return Irs
If I Owe Someone Money Can They Take My Stimulus Checks
Maybe. Anyone filing a 2020 or 2021 income tax return to claim stimulus checks will receive the money as a tax refund. Stimulus checks should not be kept by the IRS for back tax debt.
If you owe a debt to a different federal or state agency your tax refund could be taken by that agency before you get it. This is sometimes called a garnishment or offset
If you have a question about a garnishment or offset for a student loan debt, a debt related to public benefits , or a federal tax debt you can .
What should I do if I didnt get the full amount I am owed or if I have another problem with my Stimulus Checks?
If you didnt get your stimulus checks, even after filing your 2020 and 2021 tax returns, or if you have another problem with your Stimulus Checks you can . We may be able to help.
What Type Of Credit Is The Stimulus Payment
The third stimulus payment is actually an advance payment of a refundable credit that will be calculated with your 2021 taxes .
If you made too much money in 2020 to get the full stimulus payment, but you end up making less income in 2021 than you did in prior years, you could get a stimulus payment as a rebate in 2022. Luckily, if you make more money in 2021 than you did in 2020, you will not have to pay back part or all of your stimulus payment in 2022.
Don’t Miss: When Will Direct Deposit Stimulus Checks Arrive
Can You Track Your Stimulus Check
Originally Published: Originally Published:4 min read
UPDATE: Money first published this story in April 2020. The federal government has since approved a second and, more recently, third round of coronavirus stimulus checks.
You can use the Get My Payment tool on the IRS website to track your stimulus check. After briefly going offline last week, it’s now up and running with current information.
Read more about the third stimulus check timeline here.
It sounds like a question on a high school physics quiz: The government is giving you $1,200. You’re not sure when it’s being sent or when you’ll receive it. How can you determine where the money is?
This is what millions of Americans are asking about their coronavirus stimulus payments, which started going out last week. The IRS is in charge, but it’s still scary to think about an important $1,200 check getting lost in the mail .
Here’s what we know about how to find out where your relief money is.
Will I Get A Stimulus Check If I Owe Taxes
Typically, if you have any federal or state debts, the IRS will take any refund amounts you receive and use them to offset those post-due debts. The IRS can automatically take your refund amounts to pay off outstanding student loans, state taxes, or child support payments.
But it doesnt quite work this way with a stimulus check. Because stimulus money is designed to boost the economy and give a lifeline to those in need, you will receive a stimulus check even if you have outstanding debts. The IRS is not going to use your stimulus check to offset what you owe the government. You wont be denied a stimulus check just because youre behind on your tax bills.
If you choose to, you can always use your stimulus check to pay down tax debts. That makes sense if your basic needs are already taken care of.
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What If I Didn’t Get The Right Amount
Some people may get their checks quickly, yet discover the payment amount is incorrect that could be due to their dependents or changes in income.
The law provides $1,400 per adult and dependent, as long as the household income falls below the income threshold for eligibility. In the current bill, single people whose adjusted gross income was below $75,000 and married couples with income below $150,000 will receive their full payments, as well as their dependents. Payments decline for earnings above that, cutting off entirely for single people earning $80,000 and $160,000 for married couples.
But some people may not get the right amount, especially if they haven’t yet filed their 2020 tax returns, given that the IRS extended the tax deadline until May 17. For instance, if a family had a baby last year but hasn’t yet filed their 2020 returns, the IRS would base their payments on their 2019 returns which wouldn’t include their new baby. In that case, the family would receive $2,800 for themselves, but not the extra $1,400 for their child.
For instance, the most recent batch of checks issued this week include “plus-up” payments for people who received checks based on their 2019 tax returns but who have since filed their 2020 tax returns and are owed more. The agency said such extra payments could reflect a loss of income in 2020, which could entitle the tax filers to more stimulus money, or if they had a child last year.
Automatic $850 Payments To Go Out To Thousands Of Americans Next Week
A report published in March by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that more than 645,000 were missing out on stimulus payments, as of mid-September.
This includes the following, along with the number of people in each group who failed to get their payments:
- Those with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number who have a qualifying dependent affecting 419,822 individuals
- Unemployment benefit exclusion eligibles affecting 133,578 individuals
- Those falsely marked as a resident of a US territory affecting 51,639 individuals
- Those with filing changes or had an unresolved condition on their tax account affecting 39,666 individuals
If you fit in these categories or believe you are entitled to more stimulus money theres an easy way to check.
Read Also: How Do I Know If I Get A Stimulus Check