Still No Third Stimulus Check Track Your Money Now With This Online Tool
If your third stimulus check hasn’t arrived yet, you’re likely becoming concerned about what’s happened to it. But don’t get too worried yet — start by checking your bank account because it may have a pending deposit.Iit’s also possible the check is stuck en route in the mail. Once you figure out your payment status, you may find that you’re owed a “plus-up” supplemental payment if the IRS didn’t send you enough stimulus money.
contactless payments personal finance cash money
However, there could be information you need to act on if that’s the case, the IRS online tracking tool will let you know. It’ll also show if you need to file a payment trace for that missing third check. The tool isn’t perfect, but it’s a great way to learn your payment status. It won’t tell you how much money to expect — not everyone gets $1,400 — but you can use our stimulus calculator to estimate that amount.
In mid-July, the IRS will begin disbursing advance child tax credit checks for up to $300 a month for those eligible — you can use this separate calculator for that. Here’s how to claim up to thousands in child care expenses and what we know about a possible fourth stimulus payment. We have updated this story.
What Is A Recovery Rebate Credit
The IRS has lots of different rules, regulations and terms that make things confusing for filers, but pay no attention to the man behind the curtain: The Recovery Rebate Credit is simply just another name for your stimulus check. And if you were one of the lucky Americans who received two EIPs with no problems, you technically just received an advance of that Recovery Rebate Credit.
Americans can claim that credit by filling out a new, special section on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR if theyre a senior. That also goes for taxpayers who normally dont have to file a tax return, according to the IRS.
But rest assured: Receiving a stimulus check wont come back to bite you. The IRS says that the credit will only increase the amount you receive as a tax refund or decrease the amount you owe, rather than subtract from the refund youre entitled to. Your stimulus check also isnt considered taxable income.
What Is The Fastest Way To Get Stimulus Payment And Tax Refund
File electronically, instead of a paper return, to avoid delays. Make sure the return is accurate, reflecting complete information regarding the advance payments for the child tax credit and the third stimulus payment. Have your tax refund directly deposited into a bank account to avoid mail delays.
You May Like: When Will We Be Getting A Second Stimulus Check
Stimulus Check Never Arrived Heres What To Do
It has been long enough since the checks were supposed to arrive that it is worth checking in to see what happened.
So far, the IRS has paid out 169 million stimulus checks in the third round of payments, approved by a narrow vote in Congress in early March 2021. Each of these checks is worth $1,400, for both American adults and their dependents within certain income constraints.
More than four months after the initial legislation was passed, the IRS continues to send out millions of these stimulus payments each week, in addition to the agencys other responsibilities. As it sends the stimulus payments, the IRS has also been tasked with sending out the first of six Child Tax Credit advance payments to roughly 36 million American families. These two payments are in addition to the agencys normal job of processing tax returns from the most recent round of filing in May 2021 although most returns have been processed by now, 35 million remain, creating a backlog and delaying the IRSs other functions.
With all of this happening at the IRS, it would be understandable if a few stimulus checks fell through the cracks. Therefore, if someone has not received theirs, it might simply be that the IRS has not been able to send it out yet.
If worst comes to worst, though, and the check has simply vanished somewhere along the line, dont panic for those who were unable to claim the check during this year, it can be claimed as a recovery rebate credit when filing next years taxes.
I Missed The Deadline For Getting A Cares Act Stimulus Payment Can I Still Get This Payment
Yes. Some people who typically dont file a tax return were required to register for a stimulus payment. If you didnt register and didnt receive a maximum $1,200 payment from the first stimulus package, you may be eligible to receive those funds through a tax credit by filing a 2020 tax return when the IRS system opens Feb. 12, 2021.
If youre a non-filer who didnt register for the CARES Act stimulus payment, you cannot do so for the second round of payments. Youll have to wait to file a 2020 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
You May Like: Green Dot Stimulus Check 2021
Don’t Lose The Irs Letter That Confirms Your Stimulus Payment
If the IRS issues you a stimulus check, it sends a notice by mail to your last known address within 15 days after making the payment to confirm delivery. The letter contains information on when and how the payment was made and how to report it to the IRS if you didn’t receive all the money you’re entitled to. You’ll need to reference this information if you don’t receive your full payment and need to claim your money later. Here’s how to recover the information if you lost or tossed the letter.
You Make Too Much Money
You won’t get a third stimulus check at all if your income is too high. Every eligible American starts with a $1,400 third stimulus check “base amount.” The base amount goes up to $2,800 for married couples filing a joint tax return. Then, for each dependent in your family, an extra $1,400 will be added to the base amount.
However, everyone won’t get the full amount. As with the first two stimulus payments, third-round stimulus checks will be “phased-out” for people with an adjusted gross income above a certain amount on their 2019 or 2020 tax return. If you filed your most recent tax return as a single filer, your third stimulus check will be phased-out if your AGI is $75,000 or more. That threshold increases to $112,500 for head-of-household filers, and to $150,000 for married couples filing a joint return.
Third-round stimulus checks are reduced to zero pretty quickly. They are completely phased out for single filers with an AGI above $80,000, head-of-household filers with an AGI over $120,000, and joint filers with an AGI exceeding $160,000.
8 of 9
Not everyone is eligible for a third stimulus check. In a nutshell, you generally don’t qualify for a third-round payment if:
- You could be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return
- You don’t have a Social Security number or
- You’re a nonresident alien.
If the IRS determines that you’re not eligible for a third-round stimulus check, then you won’t get one.
9 of 9
Recommended Reading: How Much Are We Getting For The Third Stimulus Check
What To Do If You’re Still Waiting For A Stimulus Check
The IRS has created a specific tax credit for eligible taxpayers who didn’t get the stimulus money that was owed to them according to legislation that passed in 2020 . It’s called the Recovery Rebate Credit. You’ll find it on line 30 of your 2020 tax return.
For the fastest processing, the IRS encourages citizens to file 2020 tax returns electronically. The agency has not yet announced when you can start filing 2020 tax returns. As the situation unfolds, more information may become available.
How We Make Money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout lifes financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
Were transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
You May Like: How Do I Know When My Stimulus Check Is Coming
The Irs Tool Might Say Your Payment Was Sent To You
If the IRS’ online tool says the agency has issued your stimulus money, but you have no record of it in your bank account and it never arrived in your mailbox, you may need to take one of these steps, including possibly filing a stimulus check payment trace. You’ll need to have the letter the IRS sent you.
Who Should Apply For A Recovery Rebate Credit
The IRS has prepared a special worksheet for Americans who think they might be eligible for a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 tax return. Youll have to fill that out when claiming your credit. But there are a few groups of people who might want to pay close attention in particular.
The 2020 tax return is the great corrector for all changes, issues or lost money that you didnt receive with your stimulus check, says Mark Steber, senior vice president and chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt. You may be due $1,200, $1,800 or $2,400. The skys the limit if youve got three children and are married and havent gotten your payment.
You May Like: How To Change Your Bank Account For Stimulus Check
I Got A Payment Status Not Available Message
Many checking on their second stimulus check were seeing a message that said “Payment Status #2 – Not Available.” The IRS has indicated that these individuals will not receive a stimulus check by direct deposit or mail and they will have to file their 2020 tax return to claim their “Recovery Rebate Credit.” See below for instructions on claiming the rebate on your tax return.
These messages have now disappeared and will be replaced by information about the third payment.
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.
Don’t Miss: Do I Qualify For 3rd Stimulus Check
What The Online Get My Payment Tool Can’t Tell You
The IRS tool won’t give you hourly updates — the status information is updated once daily — nor will it tell you how much stimulus money you’re getting or provide details on the first two stimulus checks approved in 2020. You won’t find steps for what to do if you run into payment problems.
The IRS doesn’t want you to call if you have payment trouble. The agency says its representatives don’t have information beyond what’s shown in the tool. Here’s what we recommend doing to address a stimulus issue.
Another way to find out more info on your third payment is to create an IRS account online. If you are sent a plus-up payment after your 2020 tax return is processed, you should see the amount of your plus-up payment with your online account.
Don’t be alarmed if the Get My Payment tool gives you a message that says “Payment Status Not Available.” You may see this message until your payment is processed, according to the IRS. So you may not have to do anything.
But it could also mean you’re not eligible for a payment. So you may want to double-check your eligibility and plug your numbers in our stimulus check calculator to see whether you’re due money.
What Impact Will Tax Season Have On My Stimulus Payment
Taxes for 2020 are due on May 17, 2021 . The IRS began accepting tax returns on Feb. 12, 2021. This means your third-round stimulus payment could arrive in the middle of tax season. This alone creates questions such as Do I need to file my 2020 taxes right away? Will the IRS accept my 2019 income? and, of course, Does this mean stimulus payments will be delayed?
Due to the winter storms that hit Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana in February 2021, the IRS has delayed the 2020 federal individual and business tax filing deadline for those states until June 15, 2021.
In answer to the first two questions, you dont need to file your 2020 taxes right away, but depending on your income in 2019 and 2020, you may want to. The IRS will use the latest year they have on file when your stimulus is processed. This means if all they have is your 2019 return, then thats what they will use if you earned less in 2020, then it could be better for you if that number is used.
While its possible that your stimulus check or even tax refund check could be delayed this year, according to the IRS, the additional programming and testing that resulted in the late Feb. 12, 2021, start date for tax season makes that unlikely.
Read Also: Will You Get A Stimulus Check
Irs Get My Payment: How To Use The Online Tracker Tool
To get an update on your third stimulus check using Get My Payment, enter your Social Security number, date of birth, street address and ZIP or postal code. The tool will display a message with information about your payment. You can see things like whether your money was sent or is scheduled to be sent, the payment method and the date your stimulus money was issued. The tool may also say it can’t yet determine your status — see more below about error messages.
How To File A Tax Return To Claim Your Credit
If you have to file a tax return to claim your credit, it’s easiest to submit your return electronically. If you make under $72,000, you are eligible to e-file your taxes for free. The IRS has a website with a list of free e-file partners. Select one of those partners, and it will walk you through the process of filing your return.
If you already received some of your past stimulus payments, you will need to know the amount you were paid in order to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. As the IRS explains, you can sign into — or create — an online account to find out if you already received any of your stimulus credit so you can include that information when you file your return.
It’s also important to note that when you file a tax return to claim your second check, the amount you receive will be based on the income you report on that 2020 return. For people who already got their payments last year, the IRS used 2019 or 2018 tax return data . That’s because the agency didn’t have 2020 information yet. Since you’ll be requesting your credit by filing your 2020 return, the IRS will have the correct amount of income for last year.
In some cases, this could help you get a larger payment if you have a new dependent in 2020 that you didn’t have when you filed your most recent return, or if your income fell last year and you became eligible for the full check when previously you wouldn’t have been based on 2018 or 2019 earnings.
Read Also: What To Do If You Haven’t Received Your Stimulus Check
Missing Your Stimulus Check When To Take Action
Roughly two weeks after the IRS sends out your second check, you should receive a letter confirming the payment with ways to contact the agency to report any issues. Last year, when the first round of stimulus checks went out, that letter included two phone numbers to call, but thats not the case this time around.
Here are some common scenarios that might indicate you need to look into your stimulus payment:
- If youre one of the millions of people who qualified for the first stimulus check but never got it.
- If your second stimulus check did not arrive shortly after the Jan. 15 deadline.
- If you received some stimulus money, but not the entire portion.
You definitely need to check and make sure you qualified for the second payment because not everyone who received a check the first time received a second.