Third Stimulus Check: How To Claim Through Irs Portal
With the terms now finally set in stone, the process will be much the same as the previous two rounds, and the good news is that if you have already made a previous claim for a check, you shouldn’t need to have to take any action for the latest one. In addition, if you qualify and your banking and mailing information are correct, the stimulus payment will be sent to you automatically either by direct deposit or a mailing check. The IRS will continue to use its Get My Payment tool for tracking purposes.
The Get My Payment tracking tool, as you’d expect, can be used to find our where your payments for both filers of tax returns and non-filers are in the process.The message on the site currently reads:
“2021 Economic Impact Payment Coming Soon
“Check back soon for information on the 2021 Economic Impact Payment. Were reviewing the tax provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed into law on March 11, 2021. For the latest updates, check IRS.gov/coronavirus.”
Avoid long hold times on the telephone. Use the #IRS online tools and get answers to many common tax questions at
The Frequently Asked Questions page also includes information on how to claim payments missed from the first two round of stimulus checks, or amounts not fully realised as well as how to manage various error messages on the tracker.
The Irs Is Sending Out Another Round Of Stimulus Payments Here’s What You Need To Know About The Third Stimulus Check With Your Name On It
The IRS started sending third stimulus check payments in batches shortly after President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11. And, so far, the tax agency has sent over 150 million payments. But many Americans especially those who haven’t received a check yet still have a lot of questions about the third-round stimulus checks. At the top of the list: How much will I get? And when will I get it?
Fortunately, we have answers to these and other frequently asked questions about your third stimulus check. We also have a nifty Third Stimulus Check Calculator that tells you how much money you should get . Read on to get the answers you need to the questions you have. Once you know more about your third stimulus check, you can start figuring out how you can use the money to your advantage.
Question: How many third-round stimulus checks will I get?
Answer: As with the first two round of checks, the legislation authorizing the third round of payments only calls for one payment. This is not a “recurring” payment situation.
Some married couples could also get two payments. If a joint tax return is filed, a married couple could get two separate third stimulus payments. Half may come as a direct deposit and the other half will be mailed to the address the IRS has on file. Each spouse should check the IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool separately using their own Social Security number to see the status of their payments.
Q How Much Will My Third Stimulus Check Be For
A. Your third stimulus check depends on your 2020 or 2019 income .
Qualifying group | |
An AGI of $150,500 or less | An AGI $160,000 or more |
Dependents of all ages: $1,400 | $1,400 apiece, no cap — but only if caretakers make under the above limits |
* This framework by the IRS was designed for taxpayers who are living and working in the U.S., so expats should ensure theyre looking at their AGI and not their gross income when determining their eligibility, especially if theyre claiming the foreign earned income exclusion. |
Additional Payments: If your third stimulus payment is based on their 2019 return and your 2020 return makes you eligible for a larger payment, the IRS will redetermine your eligibility and issue a supplementary payment later this summer.
You can estimate your own payment amount with H& R Blocks Stimulus Check Calculator.
Q. Will I have to pay back my stimulus check?
A. No, you will not have to pay back any amount of your Recovery Rebate Credit, even if you experience a pay hike in 2021.
Q. Will this round of stimulus checks affect my tax return this year?
Q. Will I owe tax on this third stimulus check in 2022 or have to pay it back?
A. No, the third stimulus payment is considered a 2021 tax credit , not income, so you will not need to pay taxes on it or pay it back.
Q. Do I need to sign up for the third stimulus check it or sign off on it?
Q. If I live abroad, when will I get my third stimulus check if I qualify?
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Q How Will I Get My Third Stimulus Check If Im An American Living Overseas
A. There are two ways overseas Americans can get their third stimulus payment: Direct deposit or through the mail.
You should get your check via direct deposit if you received your latest tax refund through direct deposit or if the IRS has your direct deposit info from the last round of stimulus checks and you havent filed yet this year.
You need to have an account with a U.S. bank in order to get direct deposit.
We recommend you update your address if you:
- Dont know what address is on file
- Have moved to a different address
- Want your check sent somewhere other than the address they have on file
In addition to Form 8822, Change of Address, you may be able to update your address via phone, through a written statement, or on your tax return. You can see the IRS most up-to-date address change info on the IRS website.
Q. What happens if I live abroad and my direct deposit payment is returned by my U.S. financial institution?
A. Once your payment is returned, the IRS will issue your payment by mail as a check or U.S. Treasury-issued debit card. Typically, IRS will reissue the payment by mail within two weeks. Once the payment is reissued, the IRS Get My Payment tool will update to reflect your payment status.
Q. What if my third stimulus check was for the wrong amount?
A. If you didnt receive the full amount of the third payment you were owed , there are two times when you may receive additional stimulus money:
Usps Is A Good Way To Track Your Paper Check

If your third stimulus check is going out in the mail, the US Postal Service has a free app that can notify you when it’s about to deliver your stimulus money from the IRS. Informed Delivery is a mail-tracking service that automatically scans your letters and alerts you to when they’ll be delivered. Here’s more on how to set up and use the letter-tracking service from the USPS to keep tabs on your payment.
Read Also: How Much Will My Stimulus Check Be
What Can I Do If I Have Not Received My Eip Money By Those Deadlines
If you have not received all or some portion of your Economic Impact Payments by the deadlines above, you will have to file a 2020 tax return and claim these amounts. You claim them on line 30 of the 2020 Form 1040 as a “Recovery Rebate Credit“. This is another name for the EIP stimulus payments. If you did not get all or a portion of the EIP payments in advance, then you can claim them on line 30 of your tax return for 2020.
The Latest On $1400 Stimulus Checks
This tax season, the government is also issuing a third tranche of third stimulus checks for up to $1,400 per individual, plus $1,400 per eligible dependent.
Last week, the IRS and other agencies said about 127 million checks have been sent to date, for a total of approximately $325 billion.
Those $1,400 payments are generally based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns, whichever was most recently filed and processed by the IRS. Those who used the IRS non-filer tool last year should also automatically get their payments.
There are also advantages to filing a 2020 return in order to receive the $1,400 payment, according to the IRS.
If your income dropped from 2019 to 2020, you could be eligible for a larger payment. The IRS has said it may potentially send follow-on payments to those people after their 2020 tax returns are processed.
Filing a 2020 tax return also lets you update your direct deposit information.
This tax season, non-filers are also required to file a tax return in order to get their payment, provided they have not already submitted their information to the government.
Of note, people who receive federal benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement Board and Veterans Affairs will generally receive their stimulus checks automatically, though there have been delays in processing some of those payments.
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Us Jobless Claims Hit Highest Level In 8 Months
A third round of stimulus checks should be on their way to households across the US soon now that the House of Representatives has approved President Bidens $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
The IRS could start sending out the checks of up to $1,400 within days of Biden signing the American Rescue Plan Act, which hes expected to do on Friday.
This means the millions of Americans eligible for the one-time payments should have money in the bank by the end of the month.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday estimated that it could be just two weeks before families receive their checks.
Middle-class Western New York households will be getting a $1,400 check in the mail in about two weeks, Schumer said at a press conference.
They should get them by the end of March, so itll be a nice Easter present for everybody.
As with the previous two rounds of payments the $1,200 distributed last spring and $600 sent out in December those with direct deposit set up with the IRS will be the first to get paid, since the agency already has their account information on file.
Those without direct deposit will have to wait for their checks to be printed and mailed.
Not everyone will get a check.
To be eligible for the full $1,400 amount, individuals must have an adjusted gross income below $75,000. Smaller amounts will be available for earners between $75,000 and $80,000.
What’s A Gross Income And Where Can I Find Mine
Your gross income includes income from selling your main home and gains reported on Form 8949 or Schedule D and from sources outside the US.
Your gross income doesn’t include any Social Security benefits unless:
- You’re married but filing separately and lived with your spouse at some point in 2019.
- Half your Social Security benefits plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest is more than $25,000 filing single .
Read more: Best tax software for 2021: TurboTax, H& R Block, Jackson Hewitt and more compared
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How Much Does The Third Stimulus Check Pay
The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan includes a third round of $1,400 stimulus payments, topping off the $600 checks that were , and adding up to $2,000.
Congress passed the coronavirus relief plan with targeted income limits for maximum stimulus payments to individual taxpayers earning under $75,000 and joint filers making up to $150,000. But whereas the first and second rounds of stimulus payments phased out checks on a sliding scale of $5 for every $100 over the income limit, the new plan cuts off high earners at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples.
Eligibility for the third stimulus checks is based on your tax filing status. For more information on who qualifies for a third stimulus check, our tables below will help you calculate different payment options.
If I Owe Child Support Will I Be Notified That My Tax Return Is Going To Be Applied To My Child Support Arrears
-
Yes.You were sent a noticewhenyour case wasinitiallysubmitted for federal tax refund offset.The federal government shouldsend an offset notice toyouwhenyour stimulus rebate paymenthasactuallybeenintercepted. The noticewill tell youthatyourtax returnhas been applied toyour child support debtand to contactthe Child Support Divisionifyoubelieve this was done in error.
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When Will I Get The Recovery Rebate Credit
You will most likely get the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of your tax refunds. If you electronically file your tax return, you will likely receive your refund within 3 weeks. If you mail your return, it can take at least 8 weeks to receive your refund.
Claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit will not delay your tax refund. However, if you dont claim the correct amount of the Recovery Rebate Credit, your refund may be delayed while the IRS corrects the error on your return. The IRS will send you a notice of any changes made to your return.
You can check on the status of your refund using the IRS Check My Refund Status tool.
Contribute To A Traditional Ira

If your AGI is a bit too high, contributing to a traditional individual retirement account might be the key to getting a third stimulus checkâif you donât have a retirement plan like a 401 through your job.
You can contribute up to $6,000, or $7,000 if youâre 50 or older, to a traditional IRA before April 15, 2020. If you donât have a retirement plan through work, you can deduct the full amount of your contributions from your taxable income.
If youâre single and took home $81,000 in gross income in 2020, contributing $6,000 to a traditional IRA would lower your AGI to $75,000 and earn you a full stimulus check.
As an added bonus, if your spouse didnât earn income in 2020, they can still contribute to a spousal IRA, which could allow you to deduct up to another $6,000 , depending on your income level.
⢠Potential Income Reduction Amount: $6,000 to $14,000, depending on marital status, age, income level and access to workplace retirement plan.
⢠If youâre self-employed, check out a notes Julie Welch, managing partner and director of taxation at Meara Welch Browne, P.C. This could let you deduct up to $57,000 of your income in 2020 and allows you to contribute up until April 15, 2021, as well.
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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.
Still No Third Stimulus Check Track Your Money Now With This Online Tool
If you’re still missing your third payment, use the IRS Get My Payment tool. It’s easy to use and free for everyone.
Clifford Colby
Managing Editor
Clifford is a managing editor at CNET. He spent a handful of years at Peachpit Press, editing books on everything from the first iPhone to Python. He also worked at a handful of now-dead computer magazines, including MacWEEK and MacUser. Unrelated, he roots for the Oakland A’s.
Shelby Brown
Staff Writer
Shelby Brown is a writer for CNET’s services and software team. She covers tips and tricks for apps and devices, as well as Apple Arcade news.
If your third stimulus check hasn’t arrived yet, you’re likely becoming concerned about what’s happened to it. But don’t get too worried yet — start by checking your bank account because it may have a pending deposit.Iit’s also possible the check is stuck en route in the mail. Once you figure out your payment status, you may find that you’re owed a “plus-up” supplemental payment if the IRS didn’t send you enough stimulus money.
However, there could be information you need to act on if that’s the case, the IRS online tracking tool will let you know. It’ll also show if you need to file a payment trace for that missing third check. The tool isn’t perfect, but it’s a great way to learn your payment status. It won’t tell you how much money to expect — not everyone gets $1,400 — but you can use our stimulus calculator to estimate that amount.
Also Check: Irs.gov/payments Stimulus Check My
State And City Stimulus Checks
Congress has yet to agree on a fourth federal stimulus check, leaving many states to come up with their own programs to help eligible residents.
In California, the Golden State Stimulus II program offers residents over $568million in extra funding through the end of the year.
The program is for residents who have been financially impacted as a result of the pandemic.
Over half a million residents received $285 checks in Maine. In Maryland, qualifying residents can receive a check worth between $300 to $500.