Is There A Deadline To Get My Second Stimulus Check
All second stimulus checks were issued by January 15, 2021. If you didnt get a second stimulus check by then , you can claim your second stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
If youre required to file taxes:
The deadline to file your 2020 tax return was May 17, 2021. The tax filing extension deadline is October 15, 2021. Many tax filing software programs close after this date. If you can find an online tax filing program that is still accepting 2020 tax returns, you can file a tax return to get your stimulus checks even though the deadline has passed.
If you dont owe taxes, there is no penalty for filing late. If you owe taxes, you may be subject to penalties and fines for not filing or not paying taxes. The government may reduce your tax refund to pay for any taxes you owe and other federal and state debts.
To learn more about your options if you think you owe taxes, read Filing Past Due Tax Returns and What to Do if I Owe Taxes but Cant Pay Them.
If youre not required to file taxes:
The deadline to use GetCTC.org is November 15, 2021. You can get the Recovery Rebate Credit using GetCTC.org, a simplified tax filing portal for non-filers. GetCTC is an IRS-approved service created by Code for America in partnership with the White House and U.S. Department of Treasury. You can use the portal even if youre not signing up for the Child Tax Credit advance payments.
You Have A New Bank Account
Your third stimulus check payment will be directly deposited into your bank account if the IRS has your bank information from:
- Your 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return
- The “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” tool used for first-round stimulus payments
- The “Get My Payment” tool, if the information was provided in 2020
- A federal agency that issued benefits to you or
- Federal records of recent payments to or from the government.
Direct deposit is the quickest and easiest method of delivering your payment. However, if you recently closed the bank account that the IRS has on record, then the payment will be delayed. By law, the bank must return the payment to the IRS if the account is inactive or closed. Unfortunately, if you closed your account, there’s no way to provide the IRS with your new bank account information for third stimulus check purposes. As a result, you will either receive a paper check or debit card by mail.
If the IRS sends a paper check or debit card, that will take longer than getting a direct deposit payment because it has to go through the regular mail.
If the IRS doesn’t send a third-round payment at all, then you’ll have to claim the third stimulus check money that you should have received as a Recovery Rebate credit on your 2021 income tax return, which you won’t file until next year.
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What Are Possible Reasons I Haven’t Gotten Any Child Tax Credit Payments
The 2021 advance monthly child tax credit payments started automatically in July. Even though child tax credit payments are scheduled to arrive on certain dates, you may not have gotten the money as expected for a few reasons. The IRS may not have an up-to-date mailing address or banking information for you. The mailed check may be held up by the US Postal Service or, if it was a recent payment, the direct deposit payment may still be being processed.
It’s also important to note that if you’ve been a victim of tax-related identity theft, you won’t receive child tax credit payments until those issues have been resolved with the IRS. If the issues aren’t cleared up this year, you’ll get the full amount when you file taxes in 2022. And keep in mind that even if you have unpaid state or federal debt, you should still receive child tax credit money if you’re eligible.
In September, roughly 700,000 families did not receive a payment due to an IRS technical error. Problems with missing payments were also reported in previous months among “mixed-status” families, where one parent is a US citizen and the other is an immigrant, though that issue should have been corrected for later payments.
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Do You Need To Respond To Notice 1444
If you received your coronavirus stimulus payment in the correct amount, there is no need to respond. If you received the wrong amount or didnt receive your payment, follow the instructions in the notice. Try to avoid calling the phone number unless necessary to avoid having to wait for hours on hold.
I Got My Stimulus Check On A Debit Card And Lost It Or Threw It Out How Can I Get A New One

You can request a replacement by calling 800-240-8100. Select option 2 from the main menu. Your card will arrive in a plain envelope which displays the U.S. Treasury seal and Economic Impact Payment Card in the return address. It will be issued by Meta Bank, N.A. The envelope will include instructions to activate the card, information on fees, and a note from the U.S. Treasury.
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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.
My Stimulus Payment Was Too High
Some individuals whose income increased too much in 2019 were not eligible for a full stimulus payment, but they got one anyway since the IRS based the payment on their 2018 taxes. Those individuals will not have to pay back the payment.
In other cases, families were paid an extra $500 or $600 for children who were 17 or older . This could happen if the IRS took the number of children who qualified for the child tax credit in 2018 without updating children’s ages for 2019. But in other cases, it looks like the IRS took the number of dependents from a family’s 2018 tax return, without regard to their age. The IRS has said that those who received such overpayments will not have to pay them back.
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What If My College
“If a college student worked in 2020 they’re still eligible,” said Greene-Lewis. If the student files their taxes independently for 2020, they can use the Recovery Rebate Credit to get up to $1,200.
Most students are also not eligible for the second stimulus check, so they can also use the credit next year to get $600.
I Had A Problem With The First Or Second Payment
Some individuals had too much income in 2019 to qualify for the first or second stimulus payment , but their income decreased enough in 2020 for them to qualify. If you fall into this category, you can file a tax return for your 2020 taxes and you’ll receive a recovery rebate credit as part of your refund .
In other cases, families received stimulus payments by direct deposit but the IRS neglected to add money for one or more of their children. Sometimes there didn’t seem to be a reason for this . For other families, it seems the IRS did not update the number of children that taxpayers have, even for families who claimed new children on their 2019 tax returns. You’ll be able to claim the rest of the stimulus payment when you file your next tax return.
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Why Haven’t I Received A Stimulus Check
The IRS may not have your information. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued a statement saying, “About 12 million Americans risk missing out on their stimulus payments because they must file a form by May 17, 2021 to receive it. To receive the payments this year, these individuals must provide their information to the IRS no later than May 17, 2021 through either a 2020 tax return or the IRS Non-Filer tool, a simplified online form for people not required to file a tax return.” Click here to access the Non-Filer tool.
What Does Payment Status Unavailable Mean
- The IRS has not processed your 2019 tax return
- The application doesnt have your bank data and the IRS is working to add it
- You dont usually file a tax return
- You used the Non-Filers section of the website and your entry hasnt been processed yet
- You receive SSI or VA benefits and dont file a tax return
- Youre not eligible for a payment
The information on the Get My Payment portal is updated once per day, overnight so there is no need to check more often than that.
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I Have More Questions About My Situation How Can I Get Help
Vermonters with a low income can contact us at the Vermont Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic by filling out our form or calling 1-800-889-2047.
Video: Second Round of COVID Economic Impact Payments/Stimulus Checks. Watch the video on On January 7, 2021, attorney Zachary Lees of Vermont Legal Aid’s Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic discussed who is eligible to get the stimulus payments and how they will be sent out. He also answered COVID-related tax questions.
If I Received My First Stimulus Check But Never Cashed It I Did Not Receive My 2nd Stimulus How Do I Indicate This On My Taxes

If you received your payment by check and it was lost, stolen or destroyed, you may need to request a payment trace so the IRS can determine if your payment was cashed. See How do I request a payment trace to track my first or second Economic Impact Payments?
If a trace is initiated and the IRS determines that the check wasnt cashed, the IRS will credit your account for that payment, but the IRS cannot reissue your payment. Instead, you will need to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return if eligible.
You will enter $0 for both stimulus payments. Please be aware that the processing of our return will be longer since the IRS will have to match the information.
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Why Did I Receive A Debit Card
The IRS issued millions of debit cards to taxpayers in lieu of second stimulus checks, but will be sending out fewer debit cards out for the third payment. The prepaid Visa debit cards, issued by MetaBank, are called Economic Impact Payment cards. Your EIP card will arrive in a white envelope with “Economic Impact Payment Card” in the return address. You’ll need to activate the card by calling the phone number that comes with the card and choosing a 4-digit PIN number.
You can use your EIP card for purchases or use it to withdraw cash . You can also transfer the funds from your EIP card directly into your own bank account, after you register for online access.
If you use the card wisely, it will be free, but there are some fees to be aware of. If you use an out-of-network ATM or a bank teller to withdraw cash, you may need to pay a fee, and if you check the balance of the debit card, at either an in-network ATM or an out-of-network ATM, you will be charged a small fee.
The IRS has announced that the vast majority of taxpayers should receive their third stimulus payment by direct deposit this time.
Finding The Amounts Of Your First Second And Third Stimulus Checks
To find the amount of stimulus payment youve received, you can:
- Refer to the IRS notices that were mailed to you. IRS Notice 1444shows how much you received from the first stimulus check. IRS Notice 1444-B shows how much you received from the second stimulus check. IRS Notice 1444-C shows how much you received from the third stimulus check.
- Check your bank statements. If you had your payments direct deposited, you can find the amount of your first, second, and third stimulus check using your bank statements. They should be labeled as IRS TREAS 310 and have a code of either TAXEIP1 , TAXEIP2 , or TAXEIP3 .
- Request an account transcript. You can request an account transcript sent electronically or by mail using Get Transcript. You can also call the IRS automated phone transcript service at 800-908-9946 or mail in Form 4506-T to have your transcript be sent by mail.
- Create an account on IRS.gov/account. You can view your stimulus check amounts under the Tax Records tab. If you filed jointly with your spouse, you will only see your half of the stimulus check amounts. Your spouse will need to sign into their own account to see the other half of the stimulus check amounts.
To create an account, you will need:
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Make Sure Enough Time Has Passed
The IRS says phone operators will only be able to trace a first- or second-round stimulus payment if:
- 4 weeks have passed since the payment was mailed by check to a standard address
- 6 weeks have passed since the payment was mailed to a forwarding address on file with the local post office
- 9 weeks have passed since the payment was mailed, and you have a foreign address listed for the first payment OR
- It is after March 31, 2021, and you have a foreign address listed for the second payment
After confirming your payment was sent and meeting the timeframes list above, you can initiate a trace on your payment by calling the IRS at 800-919-9835 or submitting Form 3911 .
What If Ive Had Changes Since Filing My 2019 Tax Return
The IRS used information on your 2019 tax return to determine your payment amount if you didnt file a 2020 tax return or if it wasnt processed in time.
If you had a child, you will be able to get the additional $500 for them when you file your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
If you moved and the first stimulus check was not delivered to you, you may need to request a payment trace so the IRS can determine if your payment was cashed . If your payment wasnt cashed, you can claim your first stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return or by using GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
If you got divorced and no longer live at the address on your tax return or included direct deposit information for a joint account and you are no longer married, this may be a complex matter that should be discussed with a tax professional.
Unfortunately, if the first stimulus check was issued, the IRS treats the payment as being received by both spouses, even if both people didnt get the money. If the payment went only to your ex-spouse, the IRS views this as a personal legal matter that you should discuss with your divorce attorney. You can also contact your local Low Income Taxpayer Clinic or local Taxpayer Advocate Service for help.
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Use The Irs Get My Payment Tool To Track Stimulus Money
For the third stimulus check: It’s worth visiting the IRS’ online portal designed to track the status of your 2021 payment. Generally, it should tell you when your check will be processed and how you’ll receive it: for example, as a paper check in the mail. If the Get My Payment tool doesn’t give you information you can understand or says your check is on the way and you haven’t received it, you may need to eventually request a payment trace or file for a recovery rebate credit.
For the first or second payment: If you can’t find the letter sent by the IRS, you’ll need to create an online profile with the IRS to see your status. For any problems, you may need to issue a payment trace or file for a recovery rebate credit, even if you don’t normally submit a tax return. Here’s more information about finding the amount of your first and second payments.
What To Do If You Never Received Your Stimulus Check
As many as 8 million people are still waiting for their second stimulus checks. Thats according to Brian Deese, the new director of the White House National Economic Council. This is principally an issue associated with people who are non-filers.
If you think youre one of these 8 million and youre certain you meet all the stimulus requirements, you have options. One of which is requesting a Payment Trace from the IRS.
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