Your Bank Account Number
When you file your taxes, make sure you use your current banking information if you would like your payment through direct deposit.
Typically, you’ll receive this payment using the refund option you select on your tax return. If you received an advanced refund through your tax service provider or paid your tax preparation fees using your refund, you’ll receive your payment by check in the mail.
What To Do If One Of The Three Stimulus Checks Hasn’t Arrived
About 15 days after the IRS sends out your check, you should receive a letter from the agency confirming the payment. When the first round of stimulus checks went out last year, that letter included two hotline phone numbers because thousands of agents were available to help. But with the second and third rounds of checks, the IRS changed its tune, and these phone numbers may be disconnected.
Here are common scenarios that might indicate you need to look into your stimulus payment:
- If you’re one of the millions of people who qualified for the first stimulus check but never got it.
- If your second stimulus check has still not arrived.
- If you got a letter from the IRS saying your third check was sent, but never received the payment. Or, if the IRS Get My Payment portal said your payment was sent, but you didn’t get it.
- If you got some of your stimulus money from any payment, but not all of it.
You should also confirm you’re qualified to get the stimulus payment, since not everyone who received a previous check is qualified this time. If you think it’s time to take action, read for more options.
Check With Your Tax Preparing Service If You Have One
GettySome H& R Block and TurboTax customers reported not receiving their stimulus checks.
Some people who used TurboTax or H& R Block reported that they havent received their checks. The IRS explains:
When you filed your tax return, if you chose a refund settlement product for direct deposit purposes, you may have received a prepaid debit card. In some cases, your Economic Impact Payment may have been directed to the bank account associated with the refund settlement product or prepaid debit card. If the refund settlement product or the associated account is closed or no longer active, the bank is required to reject the deposit and return it to the IRS.
In that case, the IRS will process the returned payment and will automatically mail the check to the address on the 2019 or 2018 tax return, or the address on file with the U.S. Postal Service. Mailed checks can take longer to receive.
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If You Didnt Get The First Or Second Economic Impact Payment You May Be Eligible To Claim The 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit
IRS and Treasury issued all first and second Economic Impact Payments.
Get My Payment will no longer show the first and second payments.
If you didnt get a first or second payment or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim it, even if you dont normally file.
Below are frequently asked questions about the second Economic Impact Payment, separated by topic. Please do not call the IRS.
Check Whether You Have Inactive Bank Account

Getty
If the IRS tried to send your check to an old bank account, and it was rejected, youre getting a paper check, which will take longer to receive.
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, the IRS says. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service . You do not need to call the IRS to change your Payment method or update your address at this time.
The IRS adds: As required by law and for security reasons, a letter about the Payment will be mailed to each recipients last known address within 15 days after the Payment is made. The letter will provide information on how the Payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the Payment.
If you dont have a bank account at all, youre getting a paper check, which takes longer. We will mail your Payment to the address we have on file for you. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service , the IRS says.
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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.
Final Stimulus Check Of 2021 Comes Tomorrow See If You Get One
Tens of millions of families will get a new stimulus check on Wednesday, December 15, which will likely be their last one of the year. Its the sixth check and final check in a six-check series of monthly child tax credit payments that began in July. And weve got all the details in this post about whats coming, why its important as well as some thoughts on whats next.
For starters, we should note how tomorrows stimulus check draws a line underneath what was arguably the most dramatic response from the federal government to the financial pain associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. To wit: The government basically said, here, well just give people billions of dollars. Maybe thatll staunch some of the metaphorical bleeding. As a result? Tens of millions of Americans got more than half a dozen stimulus checks over the course of this year.
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You Could Be Eligible For Thousands Of Dollars In Stimulus Checks And Tax Credits
Most Illinoisans are eligible for stimulus checks from the Federal government and many may also qualify for more money through tax credits like the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Even if you have little to no income you may be eligible, but you may need to take action.
Need a breakdown of each of the three rounds of the stimulus checks? . If you’re looking for a simpler PDF to download and/or print, .
Where Are My Stimulus Checks
You can track the status of your third stimulus check by using the IRS Get My Payment tool, available in English and Spanish. You can see when your third stimulus checks were sent and whether your payment type was direct deposit or mail.
When you use the IRS Get My Payment tool, you will get one of the following messages:
Payment Status, which means:
- A payment has been processed. You will be shown a payment date and whether the payment type is direct deposit or mail or
- Youre eligible, but a payment has not been processed and a payment date is not available.
Payment Status Not Available, which means:
- Your payment has not been processed or
- Youre not eligible for a payment.
Need More Information, which means:
- Your payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it. If this message is displayed, you will have a chance to enter your banking information and receive your payment as a direct deposit. Otherwise, you will need to update your address before the IRS can send you your payment.
Information on the first and second stimulus checks is no longer available on the Get My Payment tool. You can refer to IRS Notice 1444 and Notice 1444-B that were mailed to you to see the amounts of these payments or check your bank statements if your checks were direct deposited.
You can also view the amounts by creating an account on IRS.gov/account. To create an account, you will need:
Learn more about how to get your stimulus checks.
Also Check: H And R Block Stimulus Checks
Those Without Direct Deposit Info On File With Irs May Wait Months For Relief Checks
People have to register by filling out this form on the IRS website. There are resources to help these people navigate the process primarily social welfare nonprofits, although tax prep giant H& R Block also has an online tool to help non-filers register to get their stimulus money.
The IRS said it will send out a letter starting on Sept. 24, alerting non-filers that they have stimulus payments they can claim.
“This money means more to them than to anybody else, but theyre the hardest to reach.”
Thats not a lot of time, said Ed Mierzwinski, senior director of federal consumer programs at the nonprofit Public Interest Research Group. The deadline for people to fill out the form for eligible non-filers is Oct. 15. The deadline for non-filers with kids to claim the additional $500 child payment is even earlier: Sept. 30.
Its par for the course for this administration, Mierzwinski said. I hope that the Democrats insist that that deadline be extended, he added, given that some of the volunteer income tax assistance programs and low-income taxpayer clinics catering to this population have had to scale back their services or switch to a virtual-only format as a result of the pandemic.
Received A Payment In Error
If you received the Golden State Stimulus payment and believe this is an error, please review the eligibility qualifications above to verify this is an erroneous payment. Once verified, follow the instructions that correspond to the payment received:
Direct deposits:
Paper checks that have not been cashed:
ATTN: Golden State Stimulus FundFranchise Tax Board
Also Check: Where’s My Golden State Stimulus 2
You Had A Lifestyle Change In 2020 That Wasnt Reflected In Your 2019 Taxes
A lot can change in a year, and its very possible the IRS didnt have enough up-to-date information accurately reflecting your financial situation.
A few circumstances that could qualify you for more money: You had a baby in 2020, or adopted or fostered a child. Less common, say you share joint custody with a child but only rotate that responsibility every other year. You might be eligible for extra money by filing for a credit, and there are instances when your former spouse might pocket extra money as well.
Say I filed with Susie Q. in 2019 and I got the stimulus checks for that child, and then my divorced spouse filed with Susie Q. for 2020. She would get the Recovery Rebate Credit as well, says Mark Jaeger, director of tax development at TaxAct. Its a little bit of double dipping, but it is something that is allowed.
Additionally, maybe you got married or divorced. Perhaps you graduated college and started working, meaning youre no longer considered a dependent. And, as is likely the case for millions of Americans, perhaps you had a higher-paying job in 2019 but lost that position in 2020. Even individuals who were working in 2019 but retired in 2020 could be eligible for the credit.
These are just a sampling of circumstances that might mean youre eligible for a stimulus check or a higher amount.
Theres a lot of reasons why you may be due more that are all legitimate, Steber says. Its real money, and its a lot of money.
Are Estimated Tax Payments Still Due April 15

Yes. The IRS isnt extending the deadline for first quarter estimated tax payments for self-employed individuals. Those payments are still due April 15. Taxes must be paid as taxpayers earn or receive income during the year, either through withholding or estimated tax payments.
Estimated tax payments are made quarterly to the IRS by people whose income isn’t subject to income tax withholding, including self-employment income, interest, dividends, alimony, or rental income. Most taxpayers automatically have their taxes withheld from their paychecks and submitted to the IRS by their employer.
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Simplified Tax Returns For Non
Some Americans who are not required to file a federal income tax return still do so to qualify for state or local government benefits. These people often have no income, but they need a federal return that is more detailed than the simplified return described above. However, people with an adjusted gross income of zero are not able to file electronic returns due to tax software and return processing parameters. The second type of simplified return addresses this problem. It’s only for electronically filed returns, though.
For this type of simplified return, a zero AGI filer must enter $1 for Lines 2b , 7b , and 8b . For all other lines, follow the form instructions for Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. You must also provide your IP PIN, if you have one, and sign the return under penalties of perjury. You can also add the paid preparer information if applicable at the bottom of page 2.
If the form is e-filed before October 15, 2020, you’ll get your stimulus payment by December 31, 2020.
Using The Irs’s Online Tool
If you’re not receiving any of the government benefits listed above, you can use the “Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here” tool to provide the IRS with the information it needs to send you a stimulus check. If you want your payment directly deposited into your bank account, which is faster than getting a paper check, you can also provide your account information through the tool.
The IRS tool is intended for Americans who aren’t required to file a federal income tax return for 2019, such as people with income under the tax return filing threshold . If you filed a 2018 or 2019 return, you should not use the tool.
If you use the IRS tool, you’ll be asked to provide your:
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Full name, current mailing address, phone number and email address
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Date of birth
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Social Security number
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Bank account number, type and routing number if you want payment by direct deposit
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Identity Protection Personal Identification Number , if you have one and
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Driver’s license or state-issued ID number, if you have one.
To get an extra $500 for a qualifying child who is 16 years old or younger, you will also need to provide his or her name, Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number, and his or her relationship to you or your spouse.
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Your 2020 Tax Return Hasnt Been Processed Yet
Eligible individuals who submitted their 2020 taxes on time but whose returns have not yet been processed by the state yet should expect a delay in their payment, according to the Franchise Tax Board.
Taxpayers who filed after Sept. 1 and typically get their refund via direct deposit likely wont get the payment until up to 45 days after their return has been processed.
For those anticipating a payment by mail, expect a longer delay up to two months if the return hasnt been processed prior to their ZIP codes scheduled payment date.
On top of that, Some payments may need extra time to process for accuracy and completeness, the state notes.
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Americans Who Didnt Receive The Full Stimulus Amount That They Were Entitled To
If you received a payment but you dont think it was as much as it shouldve been, you should claim your Recovery Rebate Credit.
Americans should first think back to what they were eligible for from both rounds of stimulus payments. Individuals earning up to $75,000 in adjustable gross income were eligible for the full $1,200 payment in March and the second $600 payment from late December and early January. Married couples earning up to $150,000 were eligible for payments twice that size. Those earners were also eligible for an extra $500 and $600 for every dependent claimed on their taxes.
After that, payments phased out by $5 per every $100 over those income thresholds. This is probably where it gets a bit trickier.
Because the first stimulus check was larger, payments phased out at a later point on the income scale than they did for the second round. Reduced $1,200 checks went out to individuals who made up to $99,000 a year and married couples who earned up to $198,000. In the second round, individuals and married filers were eligible for a partial check up until earning $87,000 and $174,000, respectively.
Its important to calculate first for yourself how much youre owed. Then, compare that with official documents from the IRS showing your stimulus check amount. Those can include the letter accompanying your payment, as well as another special form, Notice 1444 or Notice 1444-B, which most likely came with your first check earlier in 2020.