Here’s What To Do If The 3rd Stimulus Check Was Sent To The Wrong Bank Account
Its happening again: Some people are reporting their stimulus check deposited into the wrong again.
Debbie Baker and her daughter were looking forward to getting their $1,400 stimulus checks and using them toward a vacation.
Yes, it would be nice to hit the beach, Baker said.
But neither one of them has their $1,400 yet. Baker just discovered the IRS sent hers to her old bank.
When you do that check my stimulus thing, it actually gave it to my old bank account, Baker said even though she gave the IRS her new banking info in January.
Imagine pulling up to the bank someday and finding the windows are boarded up and the ATM machines have been taken.
Well thats a bit what it feels like for people whose stimulus checks went to the wrong bank account.
The same thing happened with the last stimulus two months ago.
The first payment was sent back in April to the correct last four digits of my account. The second payment went out on Jan. 4, but the last four digits I didnt recognize, Boyd said, it wasnt in any of my accounts.
Boyd and millions of people saw their $600 stimulus sent to H& R Block or TurboTax instead. That original issue should be all fixed now.
This time, the IRS says it is sending the $1,400 checks to the account it had on file last year.
If someone recently changed banks, like Baker and her daughter, it will bounce back and be mailed to them instead which means the vacation will have to wait.
Stimulus Checks Deposited Into Unknown Accounts For Some People
CINCINNATI – The second round of stimulus checks from the IRS are out, but some people have said their money went to the wrong place.
Some FOX19 NOW viewers have sent screenshots showing their stimulus check was deposited into a bank account they say they dont recognize.
I was supposed to get it on Monday, and thats when I found out that they put it in the wrong account yesterday, says Delhi resident Dan Overberg.
The issue appears to impact H& R Block customers. On the companys Twitter page, H& R Block notes that users may see their stimulus check was submitted to a different account.
H& R Block understands stimulus checks are vitally important for millions of Americans. The IRS determines where second stimulus payments were sent, and in some cases, money was sent to a different account than the first stimulus payment last spring.
H& R Block
On Monday, H& R Block said it would be sending the stimulus to customers via their preferred method by the end of the day. Some people tell FOX19 NOW that still has not happened.
With so many others experiencing the same issues, Overberg says he and his family have spent a combined 12 hours on the phone looking for answers.
I called our local office, and they said, we have nothing to do with it, youve got to call your bank, Overberg says. I keep getting the runaround.
Some taxpayers find stimulus checks sent to wrong account
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You May Have Overlooked The Envelope With Your Check Or Card
The problem: With the first payment, some people reported accidentally throwing out the envelope containing their check, not recognizing that it contained a stimulus payment.
What to watch for: Pay attention to the mail and dont assume its all junk. We recommend tracking your USPS letters for a heads up on whats being delivered. For a paper check, watch for a white envelope sent from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The memo field will read Economic Impact Payment.
A prepaid EIP debit card will come in a white envelope with a seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Once you open the envelope, the card itself will say Visa on the front and haveMetaBank, N.A., the name of the bank, on the back. The envelope will include details on how to activate the Economic Impact Payment.
What next? You can cash the check right away, but the 5 million EIP card recipients will need to activate the card first. The checks will expire after a year.
Also Check: Whats Included In The New Stimulus Package
Read Also: Is The First Stimulus Check Taxable
When A Stimulus Check Goes To A Closed Bank Account
If, on the other hand, the account was closed, you have little reason to worry though your payment will be delayed. According to the Internal Revenue Service, if a stimulus payment goes to an account that is closed, the bank will reject the money. Then, the Internal Revenue Service will look at the mailing address it has on file so the check can be sent by mail instead.
The agency is also required to send you a letter in the mail within 15 days, providing information on how the Payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the Payment.
But it would be worth your time to contact your bank and ensure that the check was in fact rejected. Then, go back into the Get My Payment portal to make sure your mailing address is up to date.
Some Can’t Update Banking Information
Some people have run into issues updating their bank account information with the IRS.
Ryan Deckard, who lives in Pittsburgh, received the first payment, but he never got a second one after the Get my Payment tool showed an account that was no longer active for him.
When tax season kicked off this year, he filed his 2020 return with TurboTax on the first day Feb. 12 to make sure his bank account information was updated with the IRS. He claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit to get his second payment.
When he went online to check the status of his third relief check, his old account information still showed up on the agencys website.
Ive been in the throes of a meltdown. Im tired of going to bed hungry, said Deckard, 33, an unemployed author.
Why cant I change my banking information? The government shouldnt be blindly sending money to closed bank accounts, Deckard said. It seems like the people who need the money most cant get it.
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It’s Not A Perfect System But You’ll Get Your Money
The CARES Act provided about $300 billion for stimulus payments, and there’s no way to disperse that much money to 150 million households in a short time without some issues. Essentially, the Treasury and IRS decided what would be the most efficient and accurate way to get money in the hands of the most households, and directly depositing the funds using the information the IRS already had was by far the quickest method.
And to be fair, the numbers reflect this — more than 88 million stimulus payments had already been dispersed within a week of the first payments going out. If the IRS had instead attempted to manually collect and confirm the current information from everyone who is eligible, the process would have likely taken far longer.
Unfortunately, this also led to some Americans’ payments being sent to bank accounts that are no longer in use. While it takes a bit longer to get your stimulus payment in the form of a check, don’t worry — the money is on the way, or will be shortly.
When A Stimulus Check Goes To The ‘wrong’ Bank Account
Say your account on file with the IRS is still active, but its not your preferred account because you owe fees or its so old that you forgot your password. Unfortunately theres little you can do if the IRS has already begun processing your stimulus payment.
If it goes to an account which is still active, thats where its going to go and its going to be your responsibility to figure out what to do, Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center told Money.
When it comes to accounts with debt, some banks are being more lenient than others, as outlined by the Prospect: JPMorgan Chase, for example, said theyre willing to send the check back to the government. Some states have put laws in place preventing banks from withdrawing from your stimulus checks, so look up your states stance on garnishment orders.
If the stimulus payment goes to an account you cant access for some reason, your best bet is to try and contact the bank to recover your password and get access to the money.
Also Check: How To Check For Stimulus Money
My Third Stimulus Payment Was Too Low
Many individuals and families will find that their third stimulus checks are lower than they thought. That could be because people who make over a certain amount have part of the $1,400 payment taken away. For example, single people who make over $75,000 in adjusted gross income will have their second stimulus checks reduced by 28% of the income over $75,000. Married people filing jointly and heads of household will have their payments reduced by a similar amount.
The third stimulus payment is technically based on your 2021 income, but the IRS is using your 2020 tax return to estimate it. If your income goes down in 2021, making you eligible for a payment, or a higher payment, you’ll be able to file a tax return for your 2021 taxes and you’ll receive the stimulus money you didn’t getâit’s called a recovery rebate credit.
If Youve Closed The Bank Account
If youve closed the bank account that the IRS had on file from your last tax return, your bank will send it back to the IRS.
Then, the IRS will begin processing a paper check for you but you could be in for a long wait, particularly if your income was close to the maximum eligibility threshold on your 2018 or 2019 tax return.
Unfortunately, its impossible to change your banking information once your payment has been processed a source of frustration for many, since the IRS didnt offer a way to submit account info until it had already started processing payments.
The check will be sent to the most recent address the IRS has on file with you, which is the one on your last tax return or the one that youve updated through the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS says that you must have updated your address before your payment is processed.
No word on what the process will be if your check is sent to an old address and your mail isnt forwarded.
A letter will be sent to your last known address within 15 days that will include instructions on how to report a payment that didnt go through.
Read Also: When Can Social Security Recipients Expect The Stimulus Check 2021
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.
How Would The Irs Have Gotten My Banking Details For The Third Check
The IRS has several ways to find your banking information:
- You filed a tax return in 2019 or 2020 and received a refund by direct deposit.
- You already filed your tax forms this year and provided the IRS with your banking information.
- You registered your banking information for the first check through the IRS’ Get My Payment online tool.
- You provided bank information through the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool if you don’t typically file taxes.
- From another federal agency that issues benefits to you, such as the Social Security Administration, Veteran Affairs or Railroad Retirement Board.
Read Also: I Never Got My First Stimulus Check
Stimulus Checks Going To Wrong Bank Accounts
Its happening again. People are reporting their stimulus check deposited into the wrong account.
Debbie Baker and her daughter were looking forward to getting their $1,400 stimulus checks and putting them toward a much-needed vacation.
Yes, it would be nice to hit the beach, Baker said.
But neither one of them has their $1,400 yet, and Baker just discovered the IRS sent hers to her old bank.
When I went to the IRSs Check my Stimulus page, it actually gave me my old bank account, she said.
Thats despite the fact she gave the IRS her new banking info back in January.
Taxpayers frustrated with few answers
The same thing happened with the last stimulus two months ago, as Niecie Boyd told me earlier this year.
The first payment was sent back in April to the correct last four digits of my account, she told us at the time. The second payment went out Jan. 4, but then last four digits I did not recognize, it wasnt any of my accounts.
Boyd and millions of people saw their $600 stimulus sent to their tax preparers, such as H& R Block or Turbotax, instead.
The IRS says it has fixed that glitch by now and does not believe it should be an issue this time.
However, the agency says it is sending the $1,400 checks to the bank account that it had on file last year.
If you changed bank accounts in the past year, like Baker and her daughter, it will bounce back to the IRS and will be mailed to you at a later date.
That means the pairs vacation will have to wait.
WBRC
Why Won’t The Irs Let Me Sign Up To Receive The Third Payment As A Direct Deposit
Good question, and we don’t have an answer. The IRS opened up direct deposit registration for the first stimulus check in April 2020 and shut down the feature on May 15 that year. The tool wasn’t turned back on for the second checks, when the agency had just over two weeks to complete making payments.
This time, the IRS said it’ll “use data already in its systems to send the third stimulus payments. Taxpayers with direct deposit information on file will receive the payment that way. Those without current direct deposit information on file will receive the payment as a check or debit card in the mail.”
In general, you’ll get your money faster through direct deposit than with a paper check.
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Stimulus Check Went To The Wrong Bank Account This Might Be Why Jaweb
The Internal Revenue Service has begun distributing direct payments to Americans as part of the latest coronavirus relief package, but the process is leaving many taxpayers confused, frustrated, and downright angry. Mostly, they just want their $600 stimulus checks.
Some would-be recipients were surprised on Monday when they checked the status of their payments via the IRS Get My Payment tool only to discover that they did not recognize the destination bank account.
One possible explanation could be that the account was set up by a third-party tax preparer. On Monday, H& R Block informed customers that anyone who took a refund transfer on their 2019 taxes may see a bank account other than their own when they check the IRS tool.
The IRS Get My Payment website may display an account number you dont recognize. If you took a Refund Transfer, it may be reflecting that account number. Check your 2019 return to confirm.
H& R Block Answers
A refund transfer allows tax preparers to deduct fees directly from a customers refund. H& R Block said customers can confirm whether they took advantage of this option by checking their 2019 returns.
Weve reached out to H& R Block for more information about what customers should do in those situations and if it has an estimated timeline for when all payments will be received. Well update this post if we hear back.
IRS Get My Payment: Stimulus check went to the wrong bank account? This might be why Wire Services/ Fast Company.
Why Did We Get Only Half The Amount
Many couples are finding that they are getting direct deposits for only a portion of what they think their stimulus payment should be. Some have gotten half of their payment deposited one week and half the next, and other couples are finding that their dependents’ share of the stimulus money is split between the two parents.
The IRS has explained that the first payment made might be based on a taxpayer’s 2019 tax return, and the second payment is a “plus-up” payment that is based on the taxpayer’s 2020 tax return.
The IRS has also said that part of the problem may be with “injured spouse” claims on a tax return. of only one spouse, the “injured” spouse can request a refund.) The IRS says that these couples will get their payments as two separate payments.
If you haven’t received the full amount, wait until you get your Notice 1444, Your Economic Impact Payment, from the IRS. That letter should have the correct amount of your stimulus payment. If you don’t receive deposits or checks in that amount, you may have to file a Recovery Rebate Credit . You can also read the IRS’s press release from April 1, which contains a lot of helpful details.
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