You Might Not Get Your Payment By Jan 15
Use the IRS Get My Payment tool to track the status of your payment. If you receive a Payment Status #2 Not Available notice, you should prepare for a longer wait: your payment will likely not be processed by Jan. 15.
Instead, youll need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax returns. If you end up owing money on your 2020 taxes, it will reduce the amount you owe, Cagan says. If you get a refund, youll get a bigger refund. If you have zero income, youll just get the full amount back.
There are several reasons why your payment may not arrive, but here are a few common issues:
What Types Of Accounts Are Eligible To Receive My Refund Via Direct Deposit
You can direct your refund to any of your checking or savings accounts with a U.S. financial institution as long as your financial institution accepts direct deposits for that type of account and you provide valid routing and account numbers. Examples of savings accounts include: passbook savings, individual development accounts, individual retirement arrangements, health savings accounts, Archer MSAs, and Coverdell education savings accounts.
However, some financial institutions will accept direct deposits for some types of accounts, but not others. Contact your financial institution to ensure they will accept your direct deposit and verify your account and routing number.
IRS also encourages taxpayers and their preparers to ensure account and routing numbers are accurately entered on returns so your funds can be deposited as intended and remember that your refund should only be deposited directly into accounts that are in your own name, your spouses name or both if its a joint account.
Can I Call Irs To Update My Direct Deposit
When prompted, enter your routing number and account number. Re-enter the same information to confirm. If youve already filed your return, you can review your direct deposit information on a copy of your return. If you want to change your bank account or routing number for a tax refund, call the IRS at 800-829-1040.
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Where Is 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.
You can request a trace of your stimulus check. You should only request a payment trace if you received IRS Notice 1444-B showing that your second stimulus check was issued or if your IRS account shows your payment amount and you havent received your second stimulus check.
Learn more about requesting a payment trace here.
Who Is Eligible For The Second Stimulus Check

Eligibility is primarily based on four requirements:
1. Income: The income requirements to receive the full payment are the same as the first stimulus check.There is no minimum income needed to qualify for the payment. Households with adjusted gross income up to $75,000 for individuals will receive the full payment. This stimulus payment starts to phaseout for people with higher earnings. The second stimulus check maximum income limit is lower than the first stimulus check. Single filers who earned more than $87,000 in 2019 are ineligible for the second stimulus check.
View the chart below to compare income requirements for the first and second stimulus checks.
Income to Receive Full Stimulus Payment | First Stimulus Check Maximum Income Limit | Second Stimulus Check Maximum Income Limit |
Single Filer | ||
$136,500 | $124,500 |
2. Social Security Number: This requirement differs from the original eligibility for the first stimulus check. Originally under the first stimulus check, if you were married filing jointly, both spouses needed valid Social Security numbers . If one spouse had an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number , then both spouses were ineligible for the stimulus check. For married military couples, the spouse with an SSN could still get the stimulus check for themselves but not the other spouse with an ITIN.
Examples
Former first stimulus check rules:
Second stimulus check rules:
Former first and second stimulus check rules for military filers:
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What Tax Benefits May Be Available If Savings Bond Redemption Amounts Are Used To Pay Education Expenses
Qualified taxpayers may be able to exclude all or part of the interest earned from eligible savings bonds issued after 1989 when paying qualified higher education expenses. Savings bonds must be issued in the name of a taxpayer age 24 or older at the time of issuance. Married couples must file jointly to be eligible for the exclusion. Other restrictions and income limits apply. See Publication 970 for more information.
How Will Irs Handle My Split Refund Deposits If The Earned Income Tax Credit Portion Of My Refund Is Withheld Pending Further Review
IRS will deposit your refund, less the amount withheld according to the bottom-up rule seeWhat if I make a mistake on my return that decreases the amount of my refund?
You will receive a letter from IRS explaining why a portion of your refund was withheld, the effect on your direct deposit, and what information you need to provide to verify your EITC eligibility. If IRS later determines you are eligible to receive the credit, the agency will deposit the amount withheld into the first account you designated on Form 8888.
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Want Your Third Stimulus Check Sooner Try These Things Before It’s Approved
With a third stimulus check getting closer, these tips can help speed up delivery and potentially keep you from waiting for your stimulus payment to arrive. Plus, they can help you get your missing stimulus money.
You can try to speed up your payment by making sure you have everything in order before the new stimulus bill is finalized.
Congress is working to pass the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, and the third stimulus check for up to $1,400 per person that would come with it, into law by mid-March. That means you’re running out of time to make sure you’re on course to receive the new payment when it’s sent. Once approved, it’ll go straight to the Senate for a vote, then passed along to President Joe Biden to sign into law. So what do you need to do to prepare? Use this tax season to tie up any loose ends.
If you’re missing stimulus money from the first two payments, you’ll need to request a Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 taxes in order to get your payment. To ensure a speedier delivery of payment, set up direct deposit with the IRS and file your taxes electronically. We’ll explain more below.
Keep reading for our recommendations of what you can do to clear any hurdles you may encounter before a third stimulus check is sent out. Also keep in mind that a third check could will be more “targeted,” which means you could qualify for more money for your family. This story is frequently updated.
How To Set Up An Irs Direct Deposit For Your Stimulus Check
The IRS has three ways to send the economic stimulus check, and direct deposit is the fastest and most convenient of them.
At this time, the IRS has only three ways to send you an economic stimulus check that is due to you, or a new one that they are going to send. These are by direct deposit, by paper check by mail, and as a prepaid EIP card by mail.
Of these three delivery methods, direct deposit is the fastest. In fact, with this method you could have the money weeks in advance compared to the other two.
Therefore, if you are truly in a hurry for any stimulus money owed to you, your main concern should be to set up direct deposit.
But how to do this?
When filing your tax return, on the form select Direct Deposit as your refund method, then enter your bank account and routing numbers. You can find your account and routing number on your banks website when you log in.
If you dont file taxes, but will be claiming the economic stimulus check as a Recovery Refund Credit, youll need to fill out Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. Here youll also need to select direct deposit remittance of the economic stimulus check.
The IRS says that any refunds you get including stimulus checks owed to you can only be direct deposited in U.S. banks, and must be in your name, your spouses name, or both of your names if you filed a joint tax return.
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How To Set Up Direct Deposit For Your Stimulus Check From
Those who havent filed taxes in the last two years or who havent set up a direct deposit with the IRS in the past can do so using this web portal. The web portal will send you to a website called FreeFileFillableForms.coma safe and secure certified IRS partner sitewhich contains a page specifically intended for Economic Impact Payments.
Will The 3rd Stimulus Check Go On My Jackson Hewitt Card
You will likely receive the third stimulus payment via your Serve card. You will likely receive the third stimulus payment via Direct Deposit. You will likely receive the third stimulus payment via Direct Deposit. You will likely receive the third stimulus payment via a check or prepaid card in the mail.
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Register Paper Bonds In Your Name Or Someone Else
When you purchase savings bonds with your tax refund, you will receive paper bonds, issued in your name or the names you designate as primary owner, co-owner or beneficiary. You can request up to three different savings bond registrations for yourself and spouse, if married and filing a joint return, or someone other than yourself. If you order bonds for yourself and spouse, the bonds will be issued in the names shown on the return.
Your Financial Situation Changed From 2019 To 2020

Any changes to your financial situation in 2020 may affect your payment amount and receipt.
For most people, this will result from job or income loss due to the pandemic. If your income was higher than the phaseout thresholds in 2019, but your hours were cut or you only worked for part of 2020, you can claim the stimulus money you didnt receive using the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return.
If you had a baby in 2020, got married or divorced, you were previously claimed as a dependent, or you have a child who aged out of being claimed as a dependent, you may receive more after claiming the credit as well.
When youre ready to file 2020 federal taxes, an accountant or tax filing service may be helpful to clarify your exact eligibility. If you file on your own, your Form 1040 will include a Recovery Rebate Credit worksheet to help you determine the total amount youre eligible for.
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Are There Other Conditions That Could Reduce The Amount Of My Refund And Change The Amount I Want Deposited To Each Account
If you owe delinquent state income taxes, back child support, or delinquent non-tax federal debts such as student loans, etc., the Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service, which disburses IRS refunds, may offset your refund for the delinquent amount.
FMS will deduct the past-due amounts from the payment that appears first on the payment file received from IRS . If the debt exceeds the payment designated for the account that appears first on the payment file, FMS will reduce the payment designated for the account that appears next, etc.
You will receive a letter from FMS explaining any offset amount, the agency receiving the payment, the address and telephone number of the agency, and amount of your refund/direct deposit offset. If you dispute the debt, you should contact the agency shown on the notice, not IRS, since IRS has no information about the validity of the debt.
Information about refund offsets is available through Wheres My Refund?
Can I Direct Part Or All Of My Refund To My Prior Year Individual Retirement Account
IRS will deposit your refund to any of your checking or savings accounts with U.S. financial institutions per the account and routing numbers you provide, but you should ensure your financial institution will accept direct deposits to prior year IRA accounts.As with all IRA deposits, the account owner is responsible for informing their IRA trustee of the year for which the deposit is intended and for ensuring their contributions do not exceed their annual contribution limitations. IRS direct deposits of federal tax refunds will not indicate a contribution year for IRA accounts.If you fail to notify your IRA trustee of the intended year for the deposit, your trustee can assume the deposit is for a prior year.
IRS is not responsible for the timeliness or contribution amounts related to an IRA direct deposit. Since an error on your return or an offset to your refund could change the amount of refund available for deposit you must verify the deposit was actually made to the account by the due date of the return . If the deposit is not made into your account by the due date of the return , the deposit is not a contribution for that year. You must file an amended return and reduce any IRA deduction and any retirement savings contributions credit you claimed.
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What If Im Not Required To File Taxes
If you havent filed your taxes for 2019 or 2020 and werent planning to, you can still receive a third stimulus payment if youre eligible.
- If you receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, youll receive your Economic Impact Payment automatically without providing further information. However, if you have eligible dependents and did not provide this information to the IRS in connection with the first or second stimulus, you will not receive the supplemental $1,400-per-child payment as part of the third stimulus.
- Note that eligibility for supplemental payments for dependents has changed. If you have dependents over the age of 18 who did not qualify for the first or second stimulus, they may still qualify for the third. To claim a supplemental payment for which you qualify under the third stimulus, you will likely need to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit the next time you file federal taxes.
Can The Irs Garnish My Stimulus Check For Any Debt I Owe
For the most part, your stimulus money is yours to use as you please. But there are certain exceptions, especially for anyone claiming money as a tax credit.
Under the CARES Act , if you owed more than $150 in overdue child support , your state may have reserved the right to garnish some or all of your first stimulus check based on how much you owed. However, the second stimulus check, approved in December, couldn’t be taken for overdue child support. This change was widely understood across federal and state agencies. Find out more about how child support impacts stimulus checks here.
With the first stimulus check, private banks and creditors were able to seize a payment to cover any outstanding debt. However, some states, such as California, issued orders forbidding banks and creditors from garnishing your stimulus check. With the second stimulus check, your payment was protected from bank garnishment and from private creditors and debt collectors, according to the text of the law. However, individual banks could choose to take that money to cover overdraft fees, and these protections do not apply to the Recovery Rebate Credit.
A third stimulus check would follow the same protocol, if this current proposal is adopted into law.
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Make Sure You Get Your Money Once The Legislation Passes
Now that all stimulus payments have been issued by the Internal Revenue Service , discussion turns to the upcoming third round of checks under the American Rescue Plan. This massive $1.9 trillion rescue package includes direct payments to most Americans expected to start within days of the legislation becoming lawMarch 11, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the bill.
Questions about the amount, who is eligible, and when the stimulus might arrive begin to emerge. The information below will help you know whats on the horizon and what you will likely need to do to get your money.
Irs Direct Deposit Portal: All The Information Youll Need To Provide To Get Your Stimulus Check Faster
To help everyone check the status of their Economic Impact Payment, #IRS is launching a tool that will provide the status of a payment, including the date its scheduled to be deposited or mailed. #COVIDreliefIRS
IRS
Now that the IRS direct deposit portal is open, youll need some information on hand in order to set up a direct deposit. In particular, youll need your banking information so that the IRS knows where to direct deposit your stimulus payment.
In general, when setting up direct deposit, you usually need to provide the name of your bank, the routing and account numbers for your bank account, and a number of personal details, like your mailing address, email address, or phone number. You might have to verify your identity in some additional way, like providing your social security number.
You can find your routing and account numbers on your bank website, in your bank app, or on a paper check. The routing number on a paper check is the nine digits at far left, and the account number is longer and in the middle. The right-hand number is your check number, and you wont need that to set up direct deposit in the IRS portal.
irs.govWhere to find your routing and account numbers.
Scammers arent taking a COVID-19 break. Be on the lookout for emails, text messages, websites and social media phishing attempts that request money or personal information. To learn more, go to . #COVIDreliefIRS#IRS
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