Stimulus Checks Could Be Seized To Cover Past Due Debt
If you owe child support or other debts, your first check was seized to cover those debts. The third check is subject to being taken by private debt collectors, but not the state or federal government. The same goes for the second payment, too, if youre claiming missing money in a recovery rebate credit. You may receive a notice from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service or your bank if either of these scenarios happens.
In the case of the third check, we recommend calling your bank to confirm the garnishment request from creditors and ask for details about how long you have to file a request with a local court to stop the garnishment. If you think money has already been mistakenly seized from the first two checks, you can file a recovery rebate credit as part of your 2020 tax return but only if you filed a tax extension.
You can track down your stimulus payment without picking up the phone.
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Can I Check The Status Of My Third Stimulus Check
Taxpayers can track the status of their payments using the IRSs Get My Payment tool, which is updated once a day. You will likely receive one of three types of messages: Payment Status will show you the date your payment was processed and will tell you if you will receive funds via direct deposit or in the mail.
Will The Irs Reload A Prior Pre
Some people who received one or both of their first two stimulus payments on a pre-paid debit card may wonder if the IRS will reload that card with the $1,400 for the latest round of payments. The answer is no, the IRS says.
If the IRS now has bank account information for you, it will send the money via direct deposit. If not, it will either issue a check or a pre-paid debit card, but the latter will come in the form of a new card, the tax agency said.
People should look for a white envelope with the return address “Economic Impact Payment Card” accompanied by a U.S. Treasury Department seal. The card says “Visa” on the front, and the issuing bank, MetaBank, on the back.
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How Come My Payment Is Showing Up Early Or In Provisional Status
This is normal given that the processing/start date of the given payment batch and payment could be a few days apart. Generally the payment date is 5 days after the processing date, so the payment is classified as provisional until the official payment date. That is why many eligible recipients see the direct deposit stimulus payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date.
Contacting The California Franchise Tax Board
If the standard time identified by the CFTB has passed and you still havent received your check, there are a few ways to get in touch with the organization.
Phone
Those in the United States and abroad can call the CFTB Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 5 PM PT.
- United States: 800-852-5711
- Abroad:916-845-6500
Chat
By signing into your MyFTB account, the CFTB allows you to chat directly with a representative on weekdays between 8 AM to 5 PM.
Requests can also be handled through the mail. Those wishing to send questions, documents, or any other communications to the CFTB can address their correspondence to:
Franchise Tax Board
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You May See A ‘need More Information’ Message
According to the IRS FAQ, a Need More Information message in the Get My Payment tool means your payment was returned because the US Postal Service wasn’t able to deliver it.
The FAQ says you’ll be able to have your payment reissued as a direct deposit by providing a bank routing and account number, a prepaid debit card or a financial service account that has a routing and account number associated with it. The FAQ says you can also update your mailing address to receive your payment.
If You Miss Out This Year
If you receive no $1,400 payment or a reduced check, but your income changes, you may be able to claim the money you are due when you file your taxes next year.
“Any change, either a slight reduction in earnings or even just putting more money in a traditional IRA or a 401 could yield a much bigger total payment when they do their 2021 taxes,” said Garrett Watson, senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation.
“There’s a subset of folks who will be in that situation,” Watson said.
That also goes for this year’s tax-filing season for people who missed out on the previous $1,200 or $600 payments. You can claim a recovery rebate credit to recoup any money you were possibly owed. This is also available to people who typically do not file tax returns because their income is too low.
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What Will The Portal Tell You
The “Get My Payment” tool will tell you:
- Payment date
- Payment method Note: mail means you may be issued an EIP Card or a check
If your payment status is not available, that means the IRS has not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment.
If you get a message that says “Need More Information,” that means your payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it. The IRS said people who got this message will eventually be able to use the tool to provide additional bank account information.
How The Treasury Offset Program Works
Here’s how the Treasury Offset Program works:
If you owe more money than the payment you were going to receive, then TOP will send the entire amount to the other government agency. If you owe less, TOP will send the agency the amount you owed, and then send you the remaining balance.
Here’s an example: you were going to receive a $1,500 federal tax refund. But you are delinquent on a student loan and have $1,000 outstanding. TOP will deduct $1,000 from your tax refund and send it to the correct government agency. It will also send you a notice of its action, along with the remaining $500 that was due to you as a tax refund.
The Internal Revenue Service can help you understand more about tax refund offsets.
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Stimulus Check Payout Schedule
- Direct Deposit payments will generally be deposited 2 to 3 days after the IRS confirms income eligibility for the payout.
- Physical checks will take at least 6 to 8 weeks to be mailed out.
Social Security and Disability recipients who are eligible for the payment will get the stimulus checks/payments deposited the same way they currently get payments today. SSDI will automatically get a check based on the 1099 they get and do not need to do anything.
Can my stimulus check be garnished?
The CARES act has provisions to ensure the stimulus check payment cannot be garnished for overdue loans or back taxes , but this does not apply to child support payments that are in arrears. If youre behind on child support your stimulus check can be fully or partially garnished either wont get a stimulus check or will receive a reduced one.
Couples who file jointly and are eligible for the $2400 payment may also see smaller stimulus checks where one spouse has overdue child support from a previous relationship or marriage. Even if your spouse is solely responsible for the arrears or overdue payment, the shared stimulus check will likely be garnished.
Note there are some private debt collectors that are saying that stimulus payments can be intercepted to cover their overdue loan payments based on some vague wording the CARES act. However Congress and State legislatures are working to close this loophole.
Still Don’t Have A Stimulus Check Here’s How To Track Yours
May 12, 2021 / 3:35 PM / MoneyWatch
While major banks in the U.S. started delivering $1,400 stimulus checks in March, the federal relief payments continue to arrive at millions of households struggling to make ends meet amid the coronavirus-hobbled economy.
The Internal Revenue Service has delivered more than 165 million payments, with a total value of approximately $388 billion, the agency said Wednesday. The latest round includes 1 million payments, with the IRS noting they have an official payment date of May 12. That means the most recent recipients will receive a direct deposit on Wednesday, or soon get a paper check or pre-paid debit card in the mail.
The timing and delivery of checks has been a cause of anxiety for some people, especially for those who receive government benefits such as Social Security and don’t typically file taxes. The IRS prioritized sending checks to people who have already filed their 2019 or 2020 tax returns, since the agency was able to quickly verify eligibility based on income and also determine where to mail or direct deposit the checks.
The agency said it’s sending another 500,000 payments to eligible people who recently filed a tax return but for whom it didn’t previously have information to issue a stimulus check.
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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.
Can I Track My Payment
The IRS reopened its “Get My Payment” website following the passage of the American Rescue Plan, allowing people to track when they might receive their stimulus checks. The IRS created this portal last year for the $1,200 stimulus checks directed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.
When people check the “Get My Payment” site for the new $1,400 checks, they typically see one of several messages.
First, some people will see that their payment has been processed, along with a payment date and whether the payment will be sent via direct deposit or mail. If a check is sent by mail, the IRS will either send a paper check or a pre-paid debit card.
Others may see a message that they are eligible, but their payment hasn’t been processed and therefore there’s no payment date available.
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Why Can’t I Get On The Get My Payment Site
The IRS said this can happen if people don’t provide security answers that match the tax agency’s information over the course of several attempts to log in. The IRS asks for personal information such as a Social Security number, birthdate and address.
“If you can’t verify your identity, you won’t be able to use Get My Payment,” the IRS said. “Don’t contact the IRS for assistance with a lockout IRS assisters can’t unlock your account.”
However, the site will allow you to try again after 24 hours.
Here Are Some Key Things To Know About This Tool And Who Can Use It
- Before using the tool, people must verify their identity by answering security questions.
- If the answers do not match IRS records after multiple attempts, the user will be locked out of the tool for 24 hours. This is for security reasons. Those who can’t verify their identity won’t be able to use Get My Payment. If this happens, people should not contact the IRS.
- If the tool returns a message of “payment status not available,” this may mean the IRS can’t determine the person’s eligibility for a payment right now. There are several reasons this could happen. Two common reasons are:
- A 2018 or 2019 tax return is not on file and the agency needs more information or,
- The individual could be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
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What Does The Stimulus Check Portal Do
The updated “Get My Payment” tool lets you:
- Check the status of your stimulus payment
- Confirm your payment type and
- Get a projected direct deposit or paper check delivery date .
For first-round stimulus payments, you could also use the portal to enter or change your bank account information to have your payment directly deposited into your account. However, that feature isn’t included in the current tool . The IRS already has bank account information for millions of Americans from recent tax returns, tax payments, the original “Get My Payment” tool, the non-filers tool used last year, other federal agencies that regularly send out benefit payments , and federal records of recent payments to or from the government. So, the tax agency is generally limiting direct deposit payments to bank accounts that they already have on file. As a result, you can’t change your bank information using the “Get My Payment” tool.
If your payment isn’t deposited directly into your bank account, then you’ll get either a paper check or a debit card in the mail . You could also receive a payment by mail if your bank rejected a direct deposit. This could happen because the bank information was incorrect or the bank account on file with the IRS has since been closed.
Check The Status Of Your Third Economic Impact Payment
All Third Economic Impact Payments must be issued by Dec. 31, 2021 in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed into law on March 11, 2021.
The IRS mailed Notice 1444-C to people who received a third Economic Impact Payment. You should keep this letter with your tax year 2021 records.
Check when and how your payment was sent with the Get My Payment tool.
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What Information Will You Need
To access the tool, you’ll be asked to provide a:
- Social Security Number or Individual Tax ID Number
- Date of birth
- Street address and
- Five-digit ZIP or postal code.
If you file a joint tax return, either spouse can typically access the portal by providing their own information for the security questions used to verify a taxpayer’s identity. Once verified, the same payment status is shown for both spouses. In some cases, however, married couples who file a joint tax return may get their third stimulus payment as two separate payments half may come as a direct deposit and the other half will be mailed to the address the IRS has on file. If that case, each spouse should check the “Get My Payment” tool separately using their own Social Security number to see the status of their payments.
If you submit information that doesn’t match the IRS’s records three times within a 24-hour period, you’ll be locked out of the portal for 24 hours . You’ll also be locked out if you’ve already accessed the system five times within a 24-hour period. Don’t contact the IRS if you’re shut out. Instead, just wait 24 hours and try again.
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.
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