How Do You Track Your Payments
You can check the status of your stimulus payment on IRS.gov using the Get My Payment tool. If you receive the notice Payment Status Not Available, it indicates one of the following situations:
- The IRS does not have enough information
- Your payment has not been processed yet
- Youre not eligible for a payment
If you believe you are eligible for a payment, check the Get My Payment tool over the coming weeks, as the IRS continues to process payments.
The Irs Classifies Me As An Older Adult What Should I Know
Many older adults, including retirees over age 65, received a first stimulus check under the CARES Act and were eligible for the second one — and are for the third as well. For older adults and retired people, factors like your tax filings, your AGI, your pension and if you’re part of the SSI or SSDI program will affect whether you receive a stimulus payment.
The third stimulus check makes older adult dependents eligible to receive more money on behalf of the household. Here’s how to determine if you qualify for your own stimulus check or count as a dependent.
How much stimulus money you could get depends on who you are.
How Will You Receive Your Payment
The majority of payments will be sent via direct deposit. The IRS states that those who do not receive their stimulus payments as direct deposit will likely receive it as a mailed check.
Payment may also be sent as a prepaid debit card, as known as an EIP card. If payment is issued as a debit card, you will receive a new debit card, even if you had a previous EIP card. The new payment will not be added to an EIP card from a previous stimulus payment.
Make sure to keep a close eye on your mail over the coming weeks to ensure your check or EIP card is not lost in your junk mail. If your mailbox is not secure, the IRS recommends that you check it regularly.
If you receive Social Security or another federal benefit, you will generally receive your payment in the same method those payments are received. The IRS has not yet announced when these payments will be sent, but estimates that information will be available shortly.
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How Is Your Income Calculated For The Stimulus Payments
The IRS will use the AGI on your most recent processed tax return on file. While 55.7 million Americans have already filed their taxes for 2020, millions still havent filedand the IRS is also significantly behind on processing tax returns.
The IRS will use your 2020 tax return if it has been processed by the date they submit your check. If your 2020 return is not available yet, they will use the information from your 2019 tax return.
Note: On March 17, the IRS announced an extension to file your 2020 taxes. Tax returns will now be due by May 17. But if you expect that you may receive more in stimulus money based on your 2020 taxes, and you have not yet received confirmation of your stimulus payment status , you should file as soon as possible.
If you are not required to file your taxes and successfully used the IRSs non-filers tool or completed a special simplified tax return in 2020, no action is needed on your part to receive your payment.
If you do not qualify based on your 2019 income, but you will qualify based upon your 2020 income, consider filing your taxes as soon as possible. Depending on your timing, your stimulus eligibility may be determined before your 2020 tax return is processed. However, the law includes a provision to make supplemental payments in September to ensure people who qualify do not need to wait until the 2021 tax season.
Your Stimulus Check Eligibility Could Depend On Your Taxes

If youre right on the cusp of the income limits described below, when you file your taxes could make the difference between qualifying for a partial check or not. Thats because a third stimulus check is now arriving during tax season.
The language in the stimulus bill makes it clear that the IRS will base your next stimulus check on your 2019 or 2020 taxes, whichever is on file when it processes your payment. However, the IRS is reportedly delayed in processing new tax returns. If you made more in 2020 than in 2019, time is on your side. The new tax deadline is May 17. If you need more time, you might want to request a tax extension.
At this point of the stimulus check delivery cycle, filing taxes sooner may not be to your advantage. The IRS is prioritizing stimulus check distribution over tax returns, and when the processing happens is outside your control.
If you did already receive your third stimulus check and it was based on your 2019 taxes but you qualified for more with your 2020 return, the IRS will be sending plus-up payments to correct the amount between now and Dec. 31, 2021. If you dont receive your catch-up payment by then, youll need to claim it on your taxes next spring.
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How Do I Get My Second Stimulus Check
You dont need to do anything if:
- You have filed a tax return for tax year 2019.
- You are a Social Security recipient, including Social Security Disability Insurance , railroad retiree. Or, you are a Supplemental Security Insurance and Veterans Affairs beneficiary.
- You have successfully registered for the first stimulus check online using the IRS Non-Filers tool or submitted a simplified tax return that has been processed by the IRS.
The IRS shouldve automatically sent your payment. 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.
Stimulus Checks Arent Distributed At The Same Time
Stimulus checks arent distributed all at once. That means your neighbor, cousin or sister may get a stimulus check before you. If you have a bank account on file with the IRS, youre likely to get your stimulus check faster through direct deposit. However, if you dont, then it may take longer to get a paper stimulus check or debit card. Like the first and second stimulus checks, the third stimulus check will be sent in batches over time. If you get Social Security benefits, you also may not have received a stimulus check yet. Why? Until this week, the U.S. Social Security Administration didnt share contact information for 30 million Social Security recipients with the IRS, which has delayed the disbursement of their stimulus checks.
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Are You Entitled To A $1400 Check In 2022
The American Rescue Plan Act authorized payments of $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per dependent. President Joe Biden signed the Act into law at the end of March and the vast majority of Americans have already received the full amount of stimulus money due.
However, people who had a baby or otherwise added a new dependent may not have received all the money that they were supposed to get this year. The problem is, the IRS determined how many dependents were entitled to the $1,400 payments by reviewing past tax returns. And if you added a dependent only in 2021, then this information would not have been available to the IRS when your payment was calculated.
If you missed out on a payment for any new dependents you added in 2021, you can claim $1,400 per dependent in 2022. So, for example, if you added twin babies to your family this year, you would be entitled to $2,800 for them. You’ll simply have to claim the money by filing a tax return. The payments that were sent out were an advance on a tax credit, so the tax credit should be available to you when you file your 1040 form with the IRS for 2021.
The IRS will begin accepting tax returns in late January of 2022, so the sooner you file your return for 2021, the faster you can get the $1,400 payment that you’re owed.
What Steps Do I Need To Take To Receive An Economic Impact Payment
If you receive certain social security, retirement, disability, survivors, railroad retirement, or veterans benefits, you may automatically qualify to receive a payment. Learn more to see if this applies to you.
For most people, you will not need to take any action and the IRS will automatically send you your payment. For some people who are eligible for a payment, the IRS will need more information from you first before they can send you money. You will do this using one of two different IRS portals. It is important that you provide this information using the right IRS portal so that the IRS can process your information quickly.
- If you already filed your 2018 or 2019 taxes, go to the IRS Get My Payment portal to check the status of your payment. This portal will let you know if your payment has been processed and let you know if the IRS needs more information before sending you your payment.
- If your payment has already been processed, the IRS does not need any more information from you at this time.
- If you paid additional taxes when you filed your tax return, it is possible that the IRS does not have your payment account information to direct deposit your payment. You can provide that directly in the portal so that they can process this information quickly and send you your payment. If the IRS does not have your direct deposit information and you dont provide it to them, your payment will be sent to you by check to the address they have on file.
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I Dont Have A Social Security Number Can I Still Get An Economic Impact Payment
In almost all cases, a person is only eligible to receive an Economic Impact Payment if they have a Social Security number .
One exception to this is if youre a member of the military and file a married filing jointly tax return. Your spouse isnt required to have an SSN for you to get the Economic Impact Payment.
Another exception is you have dependent child under the age of 17 who is adopted and has an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number , you will receive the $500 child payment.
What If My Bank Account Information Changed How Will I Get My Second Stimulus Check
Unfortunately, if your second stimulus check is sent to an account that is closed or no longer active, the IRS will not reissue the payment to you by mail. Instead, if you are eligible to get a payment, you can claim the stimulus check on your 2020 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
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What’s The Income Limit For The Second Stimulus Check
As in March, individuals with an adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 are eligible for the full $600 payment, decreasing in increments as income rises until $87,000, when the payments phase out completely. In the first round of stimulus checks, payments phased out at $99,000.
People who file taxes as heads of household and earn up to $112,500 are eligible for the full $600 payment. The payments phase out completely at $124,500. In the first round of stimulus checks, payments phased out at $136,500.
Dependent children qualify for their own $600 payments, unlike the first round of stimulus checks.
To get a stimulus check, you cannot be an adult claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return, and you must have a Social Security number.
I Received A Message From The Irs Asking For My Personal Information Is This A Scam

Yes, this is a scam. With the rollout of Economic Impact Payments, theres an increased risk of scams. Its important to stay vigilant and aware of unsolicited communications asking for your personal or private information through mail, email, phone call, text, social media or websites that:
- Ask you to verify your SSN, bank account, or credit card information
- Suggest that you can get a faster payment if they fill out information on your behalf or if you sign over your check to them
- Send you a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, and then ask you to call a number or verify information online in order to cash that check
Be aware that scammers are also able to replicate a government agencys name and phone number on caller ID. Its important to remember that the Internal Revenue Service will never ask you for your personal information or threaten your benefits by phone call, email, text or social media.
If you receive an unsolicited email, text or social media attempt that appears to be from the IRS or an organization associated with the IRS, like the Department of the Treasury Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, notify the IRS at . You can also learn more about coronavirus-related scams.
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You Will Be Able To Claim Missing Stimulus Money
Although stimulus checks are well on their way, the IRS will have until Dec. 31, 2021, to automatically send the payments. That leeway would allow for the agency to potentially fix any direct deposit errors, calculation problems or issues including the right amount of money for dependents. Any discrepancy between 2019 and 2020 taxes could also be claimed in this time period, presumably.
Q How Much Will My Third Stimulus Check Be For
A. Your third stimulus check depends on your 2020 or 2019 income .
Qualifying group | |
An AGI of $150,500 or less | An AGI $160,000 or more |
Dependents of all ages: $1,400 | $1,400 apiece, no cap — but only if caretakers make under the above limits |
* This framework by the IRS was designed for taxpayers who are living and working in the U.S., so expats should ensure theyre looking at their AGI and not their gross income when determining their eligibility, especially if theyre claiming the foreign earned income exclusion. |
Additional Payments: If your third stimulus payment is based on their 2019 return and your 2020 return makes you eligible for a larger payment, the IRS will redetermine your eligibility and issue a supplementary payment later this summer.
You can estimate your own payment amount with H& R Blocks Stimulus Check Calculator.
Q. Will I have to pay back my stimulus check?
A. No, you will not have to pay back any amount of your Recovery Rebate Credit, even if you experience a pay hike in 2021.
Q. Will this round of stimulus checks affect my tax return this year?
Q. Will I owe tax on this third stimulus check in 2022 or have to pay it back?
A. No, the third stimulus payment is considered a 2021 tax credit , not income, so you will not need to pay taxes on it or pay it back.
Q. Do I need to sign up for the third stimulus check it or sign off on it?
Q. If I live abroad, when will I get my third stimulus check if I qualify?
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What Are The Income Limitations For Each Filing Status
Eligible individuals will receive an Economic Impact Payment of $1,200, or $2,400 if married filing jointly, with an adjusted gross income up to:
- $75,000 for individuals if filing as single or married filing separately
- $112,500 if filing as head of household and
- $150,000 if filing married filing jointly
An individuals payment is reduced by 5% of the excess of the individuals AGI over the applicable threshold.
Eligible individuals will receive a reduced payment if their AGI is more than:
- $75,000 if filing as single or married filing separately
- $112,500 if filing as head of household and
- $150,000 if filing married filing jointly
For eligible individuals with no qualifying children, the payment is reduced to $0 if their AGI is at least:
- $99,000 if filing as single or married filing separately
- $136,500 if filing as head of household and
- $198,000 if filing married filing jointly
For individuals with qualifying children, these total-phaseout amounts increase by $10,000 for each qualifying child. For example, for an eligible individual filing as married filing separately with 3 qualifying children, the individuals payment is reduced to $0 if his or her AGI is $129,000 or more.
When Will I Get The Payment And What Can I Do If I Dont Get It
The IRS is sending the third round of payments out to American families, but we are not sure how long this will take. We believe the IRS will continue to send the third round of payments until December 2021. Because this third round of stimulus is actually an advance payment of a tax credit for tax year 2021, you should be able to claim this credit on your 2021 tax return if you do not get it by the end of 2021.
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Nonfilers: You May Need To File Your 2020 Tax Return This Year To Get The Right Stimulus Check Amount
With the second payment, the IRS used your 2019 tax returns to determine eligibility. Nonfilers, who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019, may still be eligible to receive the first stimulus check under the CARES Act. And this group will qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:
- You’re over 24, you’re not claimed as a dependent and your income is less than $12,200.
- You’re married filing jointly and together your income is less than $24,400.
- You have no income.
- You receive federal benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance. See below for more on SSDI.