Will More Checks Be Sent In 2021
For those who already received their entire stimulus payment due under the American Rescue Plan Act, it’s currently unlikely a fourth check could be coming.
Under current economic conditions, a fourth check isn’t likely because there’s no bipartisan support for it. Democrats would have to try to pass it on party lines through a procedural process called reconciliation, which can only be used a limited number of times. With lawmakers on the left focused on using reconciliation to pass infrastructure legislation, another stimulus bill probably will not happen.
However, if the Delta variant continues to spread and mitigation measures such as lockdowns become necessary, lawmakers would likely have to act to issue another stimulus check. When the first lockdowns occurred in March of 2020, Republicans and Democrats came together to quickly provide relief because lawmakers knew they couldn’t ask Americans to stay home without giving them help paying their bills.
But, unless the worst-case scenario happens, the only people who will get a stimulus check during the rest of 2021 are those who are still waiting for the payments due from prior relief bills.
Stimulus Check Postal Tracking
If your third stimulus check is going out in the mail, the US Postal Service has a free app that can notify you when it’s about to deliver your stimulus money from the IRS. This app is called Informed Delivery.
The tracking app automatically scans your letters and can alert you when they’ll be delivered.
Debt Collectors Have Taken Your Payment
The problem: Could it be your money was garnished by private debt collectors? The first check was susceptible to seizure of many varieties, including if you owed past-due child support payments. The latter wasn’t true for the second payment, except in cases where recipients didn’t get a check and need to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their taxes. For the third check, private debt collectors are able to confiscate your stimulus payment.
What to do: If you think there’s been a seizure or a mistake, you’ll need to start by reaching out to your bank or credit union. You may have a small window of time to put a hold on the seizure.
If you’ve moved, let the IRS and USPS know.
Recommended Reading: Third Stimulus Check For Ssi
Top Credit Card Wipes Out Interest Into 2023
If you have credit card debt, transferring it to this top balance transfer card secures you a 0% intro APR into 2023! Plus, youll pay no annual fee. Those are just a few reasons why our experts rate this card as a top pick to help get control of your debt. Read The Ascent’s full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.
What’s The Status Of 2021 Stimulus Checks
by Christy Bieber | Published on Aug. 29, 2021
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that pay us a commission. Its how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts opinions arent influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Could Americans see more stimulus money?
The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law in March and authorized a third stimulus check. This was a follow-up to two prior direct payments made under the Trump Administration. It was the first stimulus check provided by President Joe Biden, and it was the largest check to date, worth up to $1,400 per adult and dependent.
The IRS was charged with the task of sending out these stimulus payments, and most of them have been distributed already. But the agency is still sending checks well into the summer of 2021. Some Americans, in other words, are still waiting for either their full payment or part of it.
For those who have already received their money, it remains an open question whether another stimulus check will be authorized this year or if they are done receiving stimulus checks in 2021.
Also Check: Where’s My Stimulus Check 2020
What Can The Irs Do For A Missing Stimulus Check
The IRS will do the following to process your claim, according to its website:
- If you didn’t cash the check, the IRS will issue a replacement. If you discover the original check among your belongings, you’re expected to return it as soon as possible.
- If you did cash or deposit the check, expect a claim package from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which will include a copy of the cashed check. Follow the included instructions. The bureau will review your claim and the signature on the canceled check before deciding whether it will issue a replacement. This is presumably to guard against stimulus check fraud.
If The First Two Stimulus Payments Never Showed Up Do This
The IRS is no longer automatically sending out the first and second payments that were approved in 2020. If you believe you’re still owed money from either of those payment rounds, your best chance of claiming those funds is to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of the 2020 tax season.
If you’re eligible, you’ll need to know the amount of money the IRS allotted you, which you can find out online or from the letter the agency mailed. The IRS said the updated Get My Payment tracker won’t give you information on the first and second checks. Instead, you need to set up and check your IRS account for information on those payments.
Don’t Miss: How To Change Account For Stimulus Check
My Address Changed How Can I Tell The Irs
Many people moved in 2020, which means if you are one of those expecting a mailed check or pre-paid debit card, you may be concerned about the payment reaching you.
Unfortunately, the IRS’ “Get My Payment” site doesn’t allow people to update their addresses. Instead, the IRS is urging people to file their 2020 tax returns with their current address.
However, given that the deadline for filing 2020 tax returns has been pushed back to May 17 from its typical April 15 cutoff, there are likely millions of people who haven’t yet filed their tax forms and aren’t likely to do so before the IRS distributes most of its checks.
The IRS said that payments that can’t be delivered to eligible people will be returned to the tax agency. If that happens, the IRS’ “Get My Payment” site will show you a “Need More Information” message, which will then allow you to enter direct deposit information or ask for the stimulus check to be delivered on a pre-paid debit card.
Coronavirus Stimulus Check: Easy Way To Contact Irs
Tracking your stimulus checks has always been a difficult task for many. The IRS always recommends using the portal to check the status of your payment, but using the portal itself could be difficult. To get information from the portal, you need to fill out relevant details, as well as navigate through endless menu links.
Now, there is a more convenient way to contact the IRS, and all you have to do is pick up your phone and call them. To contact the IRS, you need to call 800-919-9835. This is the IRS Economic Impact Payment phone number, and will connect you to a live representative.
Talking to a representative is usually a good option to get your work done. Moreover, it also helps to get answers to all your questions, including those for which you cant find answers on the portal.
Since the distribution of the stimulus checks last year, the IRS has been flooded with enquiries. At the same time, the agency has faced staff shortages as well. Now, things are starting to return to normal, so calling the IRS directly will hopefully resolve your queries.
The above number wont directly connect you to a human representative, rather a virtual assistant will answer your call. It will make every possible effort to answer your questions. However, if you insist on talking to a representative, the computer would eventually connect you to one.
Recommended Reading: What To Do If You Haven’t Received Your Stimulus Check
The Irs Has Your Wrong Mailing Address
Theproblem: You moved in 2020 and the IRS doesn’t know your new address. Or, you were receiving Social Security benefits on a Direct Express card , recently closed your account and the IRS doesn’t have your correct address to reissue the payment as a paper check or EIP debit card.
Why it matters: If you got direct deposit but you need to claim additional stimulus make-up money later and you didn’t get the confirmation letter the IRS sends to recipients, you’ll have to jump through more hoops later on. Or, if you’re waiting for your stimulus check in the mail, you might have to keep waiting, if there’s an issue with forwarding. Similarly, if you closed a Direct Express account and the IRS doesn’t have your current address, it won’t know how to route your payment.
What next? If you think you’re getting a mailed payment, let the IRS and USPS know ASAP what your new mailing address is. If your check won’t be processed right away, you may have enough time. Otherwise, you may need to file for a catch-up payment later in 2021 or even a year from now during tax season in 2022.
Still Don’t Have A Stimulus Check Here’s How To Track Yours
May 12, 2021 / 3:35 PM / MoneyWatch
While major banks in the U.S. started delivering $1,400 stimulus checks in March, the federal relief payments continue to arrive at millions of households struggling to make ends meet amid the coronavirus-hobbled economy.
The Internal Revenue Service has delivered more than 165 million payments, with a total value of approximately $388 billion, the agency said Wednesday. The latest round includes 1 million payments, with the IRS noting they have an official payment date of May 12. That means the most recent recipients will receive a direct deposit on Wednesday, or soon get a paper check or pre-paid debit card in the mail.
The timing and delivery of checks has been a cause of anxiety for some people, especially for those who receive government benefits such as Social Security and don’t typically file taxes. The IRS prioritized sending checks to people who have already filed their 2019 or 2020 tax returns, since the agency was able to quickly verify eligibility based on income and also determine where to mail or direct deposit the checks.
The agency said it’s sending another 500,000 payments to eligible people who recently filed a tax return but for whom it didn’t previously have information to issue a stimulus check.
Don’t Miss: Status Of My Stimulus Check
More Third Stimulus Payment Money For Some In 2022
Parents who added a child in 2021 could be getting up to $1,400 after they file their 2021 taxes this coming spring thanks to the American Rescue Plan. The money won’t come as a direct check but will be part of the overall tax return.
The 2021 Economic Impact Payment — colloquially known as the third stimulus check — was actually an advance on what is called the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. What that means is that the $1,400 stimulus check most individual Americans received in 2021 is, in fact, money they would have gotten after filing their taxes in the spring of 2022 as a Recovery Rebate Credit.
In other words, millions of Americans already got part of their tax refund 12 months early.
“The bottom line is that’s money that’s going out almost immediately to millions of people as a tax credit in advance of putting it on a tax return in the next year,” said Raphael Tulino, IRS spokesman.
However, the IRS was going off of 2019 or 2020 tax returns for its information on the third EIP. It was using that information to determine if taxpayers would get stimulus money for their dependents. If eligible parents had a child born into their family in 2021, they can request the Recovery Rebate Credit on their taxes to get the payment for that child.
It gets more complicated with adoption because all the paperwork and processes to finalize the adoption must be completed first.
This does not pertain to the first or second stimulus payments that were paid in 2020.
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.
Don’t Miss: Does Everyone Get A Stimulus Check 2021
How To Speed Up Your Check
One way to speed up your stimulus check is to make sure you have a direct deposit account set up. The IRS didn’t let people register new direct deposit accounts or change their banking information for the second stimulus check and we have no way of knowing at this time if the agency would allow direct deposit adjustments for the third stimulus payment.
But you can register for a new direct deposit account as part of filing your 2020 tax return. If the IRS receives your banking information before it processes your third payment, it will use that information to send your money.
Stimulus Check: What Can I See On The Tracking Portal
The online portal is called Get My Payment, which is currently offline but instructs you to check back in a couple of days for an update on your 2021 Economic Impact Payment.
With the first two payments, information was updated once a day. Once the tracking portal is live, all you have to do is plug in your Social Security number, date of birth, street address and zip code. The portal will display a message indicating whether the payment was sent, the payment method and the date it was issued. It will also let you know if there are any errors.
Read Also: Did The Third Stimulus Check Get Approved
Who Would Be Eligible For The Third Stimulus Check
Families earning less than $150,000 a year and individuals earning less than $75,000 a year should get the full $1,400 per person. Families earning up to $160,000 per year and individuals earning up to $80,000 per year will receive prorated stimulus checks for less than $1,400 max.
Unlike the previous two rounds, you will receive stimulus payments for all your dependents, including adult dependents and college students.
Was Your Direct Deposit Account Info Entered When You Filed Your 2020 Taxes
The problem: You filed your 2020 taxes and signed up for direct deposit for the first time or corrected your banking information, but the IRS didn’t transfer stimulus funds into your account by March 24.
Why? It may be that the IRS didn’t process your tax return and information before it sent your third stimulus payment.
What now? Track your 2020 tax return to see what your status is. If your direct deposit doesn’t trickle in a few days past the March 24 due date, you’ll want to keep an eye on the mail for a paper check or EIP debit card. Also use the IRS check tracking tool to see when your stimulus payment is scheduled to send.
You May Like: Who’s Eligible For Stimulus
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.