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.
In the dark about your stimulus payment? You can find out more through the IRS website tracker.
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.
In mid-July, the IRS will begin disbursing advance child tax credit checks for up to $300 a month for those eligible — you can use this separate calculator for that. Here’s how to claim up to thousands in child care expenses and what we know about a possible fourth stimulus payment. We have updated this story.
Third Stimulus Check Calculator
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11. Provisions in the bill authorize another round of $1,400 stimulus checks for each eligible person , plus an additional $1,400 for each dependent. However, as with the first- and second-round payments, the third-round stimulus checks are reduced or eliminated for people with an income above a certain amount.
To see how large your payment should be, answer the three questions in the calculator below and we’ll give you a customized estimate of your third stimulus check amount.
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Tracking The Status Of Your Third Stimulus Check
You can use the IRSs Get My Payment tool to track the status of your third stimulus check. This is a newer version of the same online portal that was available to keep track of your first- and second-round payments. The online tool lets you:
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Check the status of your stimulus payment
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Confirm your payment type and
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Get a projected direct deposit or paper check delivery date .
For more information about the tool, see Wheres My Stimulus Check? Use the IRSs Get My Payment Tool to Get an Answer.
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What The Online Get My Payment Tool Can’t Tell You
The IRS tool won’t give you hourly updates — the status information is updated once daily — nor will it tell you how much stimulus money you’re getting or provide details on the first two stimulus checks approved in 2020. You won’t find steps for what to do if you run into payment problems.
The IRS doesn’t want you to call if you have payment trouble. The agency says its representatives don’t have information beyond what’s shown in the tool. Here’s what we recommend doing to address a stimulus issue.
Another way to find out more info on your third payment is to create an IRS account online. If you are sent a plus-up payment after your 2020 tax return is processed, you should see the amount of your plus-up payment with your online account.
Tips For Individuals During The Coronavirus Pandemic

- If you dont need to use your stimulus check for anything urgent, consider investing or saving the money. A financial advisor can help you get started if you need help managing your money or investments. SmartAssets free tool can match you with financial advisors in your area in just five minutes. Get started now.
- If you are struggling to keep up with loan or credit card payments, you can take steps to protect your credit score and speak with your bank directly to see whether you can defer loan payments or waive certain fees.
- If you can afford it, investing in index funds during a recession is a safe option. But if youre looking for a slightly more aggressive approach, check out some free investment classes to learn more.
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Timing Of Third Stimulus Checks
Question: When will I get my third stimulus check?
Answer: Millions of Americans have already received their third stimulus check. And the IRS will be sending out more over the next several weeks. So, if you haven’t received your payment yet , it should arrive relatively soon.
How long it will take to send all payments is not known yet. The IRS has a lot on its plate right now. We’re in the middle of tax return filing season, so the IRS is already busy processing tax returns. The tax agency also has to send refunds for people who reported unemployment compensation on their 2020 return and come up with a way to send periodic child tax credit payments later this year. All of this could very well slow down the processing and delivery of third-round stimulus checks.
If the IRS already has your bank account information either from a recent tax payment that you made, a tax refund it sent you, or some other source then expect to get your third stimulus check faster. That’s because the IRS will be able to directly deposit the payment into your bank account. The IRS can also make a third stimulus payment to a Direct Express debit card account, a U.S. Debit Card account, or other Treasury-sponsored account. Otherwise, you’ll get a paper check in the mail.
If you already have a prepaid debit card from the IRS , you’ll get a new card if the IRS decides to send your third stimulus payment to you in that form.
Can A Debt Collector Take My Stimulus Check
Child support, taxes, and other debts to the federal government are exempt from garnishment, but a private debt collector can try to take your stimulus payment. While previous rounds of aid prohibited debt collectors from garnishing stimulus payments, that protection was not included in this third round.
Congress may consider new, separate legislation to shield this round of payments from debt collectors.
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Eligibility For A ‘plus
You can estimate how much money the IRS owes your household for the third stimulus check. Just make sure to triple-check that you meet the qualifications, including the income limits.
Because of the overlap with tax season 2020, many people may receive some, but not all, of their allotted amount. If your income changed in 2020, in some cases, the IRS may owe you more money than you received if the income figure used to calculate your payment from your tax returns in 2018 or 2019 is less in 2020. Likewise, if you now have a new dependent, such as a new baby, you may be owed more money.
The IRS is automatically sending “plus-up payments” to make up the difference. If you don’t get one, you may need to claim the missing money another way later in 2021 or even in 2022, since tax season is officially over now.
I Claimed An Adult Dependent On My 2019 Or 2020 Taxes But That Person Is No Longer My Dependent What Should I Do
Check with your dependent to find out if theyve already filed a tax return since their dependent status ended. They may have already received a stimulus payment of their own. If they have not filed their own tax return and you receive a larger payment that accounts for your former dependent, you dont need to return it.
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How Are Americans Using Stimulus Checks
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says that households are spending a smaller percentage of their stimulus checks and saving more. The that households set aside just under 25% of their third-round payments for consumption. This share fell from just over 29% of first-round payments reported in June 2020 and almost 26% of second-round payments reported in January 2021.
The table below is based on all three SCE surveys and breaks down the average percentage of stimulus payments spent, saved and used to pay off debt:
New York Fed SCE Breakdown of Stimulus Check Spending | |
Payment Round | |
37.4% | 33.7% |
The New York Fed also says that households expect to spend an average 13% of the third stimulus check on essential items and an average 8% on non-essential items.
For a comparison, preliminary data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau from shows that the majority of stimulus recipients are almost three times more likely to use checks to pay down debt than add to their savings.
An earlier showed that the majority of recipients who got the first stimulus check spent their payment on household expenses. Adults with incomes between $75,000 and $99,999 told the Census that they would most likely pay off debt or add to their savings. While adults making less than $25,000 said they would use their stimulus to pay for expenses.
For those households that spent their first stimulus checks, the study says:
Im On Social Security And Havent Gotten My Payment Yet Why
The first batch of payments to Social Security recipientsmore than 19 million payments made to beneficiaries who didnt file 2019 or 2020 tax returns and did not use the non-filers tool last yearwent out on April 7.
Payments were delayed while Social Security and the IRS worked out the details of transferring beneficiary data to the IRS, which is handling payment processing.
If you used the non-filers tool to get a stimulus payment in 2020, your payment may have already been issued.
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People Who Don’t File A Tax Return
Question: What if I don’t file a 2019 or 2020 tax return?
Answer: Some people don’t file a tax return because their income doesn’t reach the filing requirement threshold. If that’s the case, the IRS will send a third stimulus check based on whatever information, if any, is available to it. That information potentially could come from the Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, or Veterans Administration if you’re currently receiving benefits from one of those federal agencies. If that’s the case, you’ll generally receive your third stimulus payment the same way that you get your regular benefits. If you supplied the IRS information last year through its online Non-Filers tool or by submitting a special simplified tax return, the tax agency can use that information, too.
Some people who receive a third stimulus check based on information from the SSA, RRB, or VA may still want to file a 2020 tax return even if they aren’t required to file to get an additional payment for a spouse or dependent.
What If I Receive A Paper Stimulus Check

If you receive an Economic Impact Payment in the form of a paper check through the mail, a fast and safe way to deposit your money is with mobile check deposit.2 We encourage you to download the U.S. Bank Mobile App and use this free service.
Weve increased mobile deposit limits for many customers and removed the restriction on government checks to make it easier to deposit other checks, such as paychecks and Social Security payments, from home.
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How Long Will It Take The Irs To Send My Tax Refund
The IRS usually issues tax refunds within three weeks, but some taxpayers could have to wait a while longer to receive their payments. If there are any errors in your tax return, the wait could be lengthy.
When an issue delays your return, its resolution “depends on how quickly and accurately you respond, and the ability of IRS staff trained and working under social distancing requirements to complete the processing of your return,” according to the IRS website.
The date you receive your tax refund also depends on the method you used to file your return. If you submitted a tax return by mail, the IRS says it could take six to eight weeks for your tax refund to arrive once it’s been processed.
If your tax refund goes into your bank account via direct deposit, it could take an additional five days for your bank to post the money to your account. This means if it takes the IRS the full 21 days to issue your check and your bank five days to post it, you could be waiting a total of 26 days to get your tax refund. Online services like Venmo and Cash App can deliver your tax refund a few days sooner, since there’s no waiting period for the direct deposit.
It’s important to note that tax filers taking advantage of the child tax credit and/or the earned income tax credit will need to wait a bit longer. By law, the IRS can’t issue refunds to taxpayers with those credits until Feb. 15. The IRS has told early filers with those credits to expect a tax refund on March 1.
How To Track Your Stimulus Payment
If you’re wondering where your plus-up payment or stimulus payment are, you have the ability to track the status to determine whether the IRS believes you are eligible and if the IRS has sent it out yet. As with the stimulus payments, you will use the IRS’s Get My Payment tool to see the status of your plus-up payment. If you are eligible, the tool will tell you how and when the money will be sent to you.
You can also use the USPS Informed Delivery system to keep an eye on your mailbox if you’re expecting to see a paper check arrive in the mail.
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Two Ways To Claim Your Stimulus Money
If you haven’t received your stimulus payment yet but believe you qualify for this or a prior round of payments, the IRS says there are two ways you can claim the money. Both stem from filing your 2020 tax return.
If you are claiming the payment from the first or second stimulus, you’ll need to file your taxes and use the recovery rebate worksheet to calculate how much you should receive from the first two rounds of stimulus checks. Once you’ve determined what you’re owed, you’ll need to claim that amount on Line 30 of Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR when filing your tax return.
Once your return is processed, the money from the prior two stimulus payments will be sent to you as part of your refund check.
If you’re missing money from the third round of stimulus checks, or if you received less money than expected and believe you are in line for a plus-up payment, the IRS wants you to also file a tax return. This includes those who do not normally file their tax returns.
In this case, though, you won’t have to file any special forms or use any worksheets to prove you are eligible for the payments. The IRS will automatically determine who should have received a third stimulus payment, and will also determine who got a smaller-than-expected payment.
Amount Based On 2019 Or 2020 Tax Return
For third-round stimulus payments, eligibility and amounts are based on either your 2019 or 2020 return. If your 2020 tax return isn’t filed and processed by the IRS by the time the tax agency starts processing your third stimulus payment, then the IRS will use information from your 2019 tax return. If your 2020 return is already filed and processed when the IRS is ready to send your payment, then your stimulus check eligibility and amount will be based on the information on your 2020 return. If your 2020 return is filed and/or processed after the IRS sends you a third stimulus check, but before August 16, 2021 , the IRS will send you a supplemental payment for the difference between what your payment should have been if based on your 2020 return and the payment actually sent based on your 2019 return. As a result, your third stimulus check may be higher or lower depending on when you file your 2020 tax return.
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What Should I Do If Not Everyone In My Household Received Their Economic Income Payments
Date: November 18, 2021
The Internal Revenue Service has paid EIPs to Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income recipients.
If you did not receive all the EIP amount you think you and your family are eligible for that was provided in the American Rescue Plan, you should file a 2021 Federal tax return in 2022 to claim the amount you are owed.
College Students And Young Adults Living At Home
Question: Will college students and young adults who live with their parents get a third stimulus check?
Answer: Anyone claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return won’t receive a third stimulus check. That means no payments to children living at home who are 17 or 18 years old, or to college students who are 23 or younger at the end of the year who don’t pay at least half of their own expenses.
However, unlike with the first- and second-round payments, the person claiming the college student or young adults as a dependent typically their parents will get an extra $1,400 per dependent tacked on to their third stimulus check. For the first two stimulus checks, the additional amount was only allowed for dependent children 16 years old or younger. But the American Rescue Plan allows the extra payment for any dependents regardless of their age.
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