What If My Payment Status Is Not Available
If you receive this message, then its best to make a Recovery Rebate Credit claim.
Youll also need to file a 2020 tax return, even if youre not required to do so.
A Recovery Rebate Credit calculates the eligibility and amount of your stimulus check based on information from this tax return.
Youll need to fill out the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet in these forms on the IRS website, which will help check if youre eligible for a payment.
The IRS has more information on how to file a tax return electronically on its website.
What Will The Status Report Look Like
For third-round stimulus checks, the “Get My Payment” tool will display one of the following:
1. Payment Status. If you get this message, a payment has been issued. The status page will show a payment date, payment method , and account information if paid by direct deposit. Note that “mail” means either a paper check or a debit card. If you don’t recognize the bank account number displayed in the tool, it doesn’t necessarily mean your deposit was made to the wrong account or that there’s a fraud. If you don’t recognize the account number, it may be an issue related to how information is displayed in the tool tied to temporary accounts used for refund loans/banking products.
2. Need More Information. This message is displayed if your 2020 return was processed but the IRS doesn’t have bank account information for you and your payment has not been issued yet. It could also mean your payment was returned to the IRS by the Post Office as undeliverable. As mentioned above, if your payment is returned, you’ll have the opportunity to provide the IRS your bank account or debit card information so they can issue a direct deposit payment . If you don’t provide any account information, the IRS can’t reissue your payment until they receive an updated address.
The portal is updated no more than once daily, typically overnight. As a result, there’s no reason to check the portal more than once per day.
Payment Status Not Available: What Should You Do
The IRS Get My Payment tool will only let you input new direct deposit or bank account information if youre seeing a Need More Information status, breaking with tradition from previous stimulus check rounds. That works either by submitting a financial product that includes a routing and account number with it, whether it be a bank account or prepaid debit card.
The easiest way to make sure that the IRS has the most accurate picture of your financial situation and personal whereabouts is by submitting your 2020 tax return. You now have until May 17 to submit your 2020 tax return, after the IRS on March 17 announced it was delaying the deadline by a month.
However, given the unprecedented and unconventional nature of the current tax season, the Treasury Department and IRS may have already attempted to send out your payment before your tax information was processed.
You could also update your mailing address by submitting a Form 8822, Change of Address, or notifying the IRS orally of your move. But be prepared: You might experience delays waiting for confirmation, given that the IRS has already begun distributing these stimulus checks. As always, a direct deposit is the fastest way to guarantee you receive a payment.
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What If I Am Not Required To File A Tax Return Can I Still Track My Stimulus Check
To use the Get My Payment tool to check the payment status of your stimulus check, the IRS needs enough information to verify your identity. The IRS may be unable to verify your identity if:
- You didnt file an income tax return
- You didnt use the IRSs Non-Filers tool by November 21, 2020 to register for a payment or
- You receive federal benefits and the IRS doesnt have enough information.
Where’s My Stimulus Check

The first stimulus check recipients saw their payments show up in their bank accounts in mid-April. But some people who are also eligible for stimulus checks have not received their money, and they’re puzzled about why that is â and are perhaps in a panic over whether their coronavirus payment is coming at all.
Here are some of the possibilities why you might not have gotten a stimulus payment yet:
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Are Inmates Still Eligible For The $600 Stimulus Check
The bill text doesnt specify stimulus payment restrictions for people who are incarcerated so they likely are. When the CARES Act was passed, the IRS moved to block people in prison from receiving stimulus checks, but a judge ordered the Treasury and IRS to distribute payments to them.
Incarcerated people who filed a tax return in 2019 will likely receive a payment by mail or direct deposit. People who didnt may need to work with their facility to complete a 2019 return and submit it to the IRS.
What Is The Amount Of The Second Stimulus Check
The new COVID relief spending package allots direct checks for $600 per person. That’s half the amount of the stimulus checks sent shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began last year. The House of Representatives passed legislation to increase the checks to $2000 on , and that measure is still waiting on a vote in the Senate. Analysts say the bill likely doesn’t have the support it needs to become law, so expect to receive the $600 laid out in the initial package.
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Im Getting Another Message On The Irs Tracker
If youre getting the Need More Information message on the Get My Payment tracker, then the IRS says it hasnt received enough information to send your payment electronically.
But if you havent received your stimulus check by mail, then again, youll need to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit.
If youre getting the message Please Try Again Later, then youve been locked out of your account for 24 hours.
This might have happened because the information you entered didnt match IRS records, or youve tried to access the site more than five times in 24 hours.
The Irs Tool Might Say Your Payment Was Sent To You
If the IRS’ online tool says the agency has issued your stimulus money, but you have no record of it in your bank account and it never arrived in your mailbox, you may need to take one of these steps, including possibly filing a stimulus check payment trace. You’ll need to have the letter the IRS sent you.
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What’s The First Step To Take
First, you need to log into the Internal Revenue Services Get My Payment tool.
Youll be able to find out when the IRS sent out your check, how much it should be, how it’ll be paid if there’s a delay and more.
To use it, youll need your Social Security Number or Individual Tax ID Number .
If you’ve forgotten your SSN or need a new card, see how you can get a replacement on the official SSN website.
Youll also need to enter your date of birth and address.
You Haven’t Filed Taxes For 2018 Or 2019
In most cases, the IRS determines whether someone is eligible for a stimulus check, and how much they’ll get, based on their most recent tax return â for 2019, or 2018 if the individual hasn’t filed yet this year. The deadline to file federal taxes has been pushed back from April 15 to July 15 this year, but nonetheless it may be in your best interest to file your taxes sooner than later.
People who have already filed their taxes do not have to do anything to get their checks. However, some people are not required to file taxes, and they could miss out on stimulus payments if they do not take action. Low-income earners â with gross income of $12,200 or less â do not need to file federal tax returns. For these people to receive a stimulus payment, they must register at the IRS’s “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” page.
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What To Know About Adding Your Direct Deposit Details
You can’t use the Get My Payment tool to sign up for a new account or correct details about your payment. Even if the IRS is unable to deliver your payment to a bank account and the money is returned to the government, you won’t be able to correct the details online — the IRS says it will send the money again by mail.
The extended tax deadline was May 17. With the agency’s delay in processing tax returns, trying to register for a new direct deposit account with your 2020 tax return won’t get you into the system quickly enough. However, if you haven’t submitted your taxes yet, signing up for a new direct deposit account could still get you IRS money faster in the future, such as tax refunds or the upcoming child tax credit.
Americans Who Did Not Previously Qualify For The Third Stimulus Check May Be Able To Claim The Direct Payment In The Tax Return They File This Year

Americans who missed out on a third-stimulus-check payment in 2021 may be able to claim the money in their tax return this year.
Sent out as part of President Bidens $1.9tn American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law in March 2021, the third stimulus check saw eligible US taxpayers receive up to $1,400 each, with households getting an additional $1,400 per dependent.
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Problem #: You Are Not Eligible For The Third Stimulus Payment
Most Americans are eligible for the third stimulus payment. According to the IRS, the agency will determine eligibility and issue the third payment to Americans who:
- Filed a 2020 tax return.
- Filed a 2019 tax return if the 2020 return has not been submitted or processed yet.
- Did not file a 2020 or 2019 tax return but registered for the first Economic Impact Payment using the special Non-Filers portal last year.
- Are federal benefit recipients as of December 31, 2020
More information on determining eligibility, including income requirements here.
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How To Use Irs ‘get My Payment’
The IRS also updated frequently asked questions Saturday on how to use the “Get My Payment” tool, which requires users to enter their full Social Security number or tax ID number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code.
But before you start entering your information hourly, the IRS says the tool updates once per day, usually overnight and that people should not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don’t have information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov.
The tool will show the status of when a payment has been issued and the payment date for direct deposit or mail, according to the frequently asked questions. Some will get a message that says “Payment Status Not Available.”
“If you get this message, either we have not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment,” the IRS said. “We will continue to send the 2021 Economic Impact Payment to eligible individuals throughout 2021.”
And others will get a “Need More Information” message when using the tool if the payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it for another reason.
If your address has changed the IRS says the easiest way to update is to “file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you havent already done so. Once we receive your current address, we will reissue your payment.”
Contributing: Jessica Menton, USA TODAY
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter:
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Here’s What Veterans And Ssi Ssdi Beneficiaries Should Know
The IRS tracking tool Get My Payment is designed to tell you the status of your third stimulus check. People who receive Social Security benefits like SSDI and SSI and veterans who don’t file taxes can also see their payment status in the tracker tool. Tens of millions of Social Security recipients and veterans should have already received their $1,400 payment.
Will There Be A Third Stimulus Check Of $2000
Maybe. The CASH Act bill, which included $2,000 stimulus checks for qualifying individuals, passed in the House in December but was blocked from reaching the Senate floor by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
But with Democrats almost certainly taking a slim majority in the Senate, a third stimulus check is back on the table. On Tuesday, Joe Biden said that if Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won their respective Senate races in Georgia, he would send $2,000 checks to qualifying Americans. Its unclear if this would be an additional $2,000 on top of the $600 checks that have already been sent out, or that Americans would be sent the difference between the two amounts.
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Can You Deposit Money On A Payroll Card
Payroll cards can also be used for automatic bill payments. Employees can also use their payroll cards to get cash at an ATM, just like employees with checking accounts and debit cards can. Employees can also add funds to their payroll cards they arent limited to only having payroll funds added by their employer.
The Irs Has The Wrong Bank Info
The IRS is sending payment to the bank account it has on file for you. If you’ve changed banks and closed the account, or the bank number on file with the IRS is wrong, the payment won’t go through, but you’ll still get your money. As the IRS says, “If the account is closed or no longer active, the bank will reject the deposit and you will be issued a check that will be mailed to the address we have on file for you.”
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Didn’t Get The Full Third Payment Claim The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit
You may be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 federal tax return if you didn’t get a third Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amount.
In early 2022, we’ll send Letter 6475 to the address we have on file for you confirming the total amount of your third Economic Impact Payment and any plus-up payments you received for tax year 2021. You will need this information to accurately calculate your 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 federal tax return in 2022.
Advance Child Tax Credit

Even if you dont pay any taxes, you may qualify for a refund of the CTC.
The CTC was expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for tax year 2021 only. If you are eligible, you should have begun receiving advance Child Tax Credit payments on July 15. The payments will continue monthly through December 2021. Under ARPA, families are eligible to receive:
- Up to $3,000 per qualifying child between ages 6 and 17
- Up to $3,600 per qualifying child under age 6
The Internal Revenue Service began sending out letters in early June to more than 36 million families who may be eligible for the monthly payments. Most families do not need to do anything to get their payments, as long as theyve filed their 2020 or 2019 tax return. Learn more about the letter and how it can help you determine your eligibility.
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The Irs Doesn’t Have Your Direct Deposit Info
The fastest way to get your stimulus check is via bank direct deposit from the IRS. If the IRS doesn’t have your direct deposit info on file, you can still get paid, but it’ll come via paper check â and getting a check in the mail could delay your payment by weeks or even months. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNN that it was his idea that paper check stimulus payments have President Donald Trump’s signature on them, and that reports saying that the signature would add further delay to the arrival of paper checks is incorrect.
“The checks have not gone out yet,” Mnuchin said to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, April 19, “and the reason they have not gone out yet is that we’re hoping that more people, as I said, will go to IRS.gov. It’s much safer to send out direct deposits.”
Most taxpayers provide the IRS with their bank account details, for the purposes of making a payment or receiving a tax refund. If the agency does not have your direct deposit details, you can provide the IRS with that information at the Get My Payment appâ which also lets you track the status of your check. However, the last day to give your direct deposit info to the IRS was May 13 if you missed the deadline, are eligible, and haven’t received your payment already, it will come as a paper check. You can still use the Get My Payment app to reveal how you will receive your payment , and give a scheduled arrival date, if the payment has been processed.
Can You Track Your Stimulus Check
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.
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