Why Did Some People Get Checks Before March 17
As mentioned above, some customers at smaller banks received their checks as soon as a day after Mr. Biden signed the relief bill into law. Thats because those banks made the decision to credit the funds to customer accounts immediately by using their own balance sheets.
But some bigger banks said that the timing of the payments was outside of their control. Although the IRS started issuing payments over the weekend, the official payment date was set on March 17, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase told CBS MoneyWatch.
JPMorgan Chase on Wednesday said it had posted all the payments it has received from the IRS so far. But some Wells Fargo customers complained on social media that they experienced difficulties logging into their online accounts, adding to their frustration about accessing their funds.
Wells Fargo said it was not holding the funds and that it deposited the money into accounts on Wednesday morning. The bank said it was working on the log-in problem, which it later said it fixed that same day. We apologize to our customers who may be experiencing issues with our online banking this morning due to high volumes, a Wells Fargo spokesman said in an email. This does not affect stimulus payments with March 17 effective date which were credited to accounts today.
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.
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Can My Stimulus Check Be Wrong
Yes. The check is technically an advance payment of a refundable credit on your 2020 tax return, which you won’t have to file until April 15, 2021. But since this is an urgent situation, the government is using the information it already has to determine the amount you get now. So it’s looking to your 2018 or 2019 tax return, assuming you were required to file for those years.
Those details can be out of date, according to Richard Winchester, tax policy expert and visiting professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law.
“The information on your return can change from year to year,” he says. “That means its possible that someone might get paid less than they should, while others might get paid more than they should.”
Online, there are reports of people missing $500 apiece for their eligible dependents, as well.
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‘payment Status Not Available’
Some people may receive the message payment status not available when checking the IRS site.
“If you get this message, either we have not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment,” the IRS said.
If that happens, filers should check to make sure they meet the requirements for the money. Filers must have a Social Security number that is valid for employment and are a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien.
The payments amount to $1,400 for a single person or $2,800 for a married couple filing jointly, plus an additional $1,400 for each dependent child. Individuals earning up to $75,000 get the full payments, as do married couples with incomes up to $150,000. Payments decline for incomes above those thresholds, phasing out above $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples.
My Stimulus Payment Was Too High
Some individuals whose income increased too much in 2019 were not eligible for a full stimulus payment, but they got one anyway since the IRS based the payment on their 2018 taxes. Those individuals will not have to pay back the payment.
In other cases, families were paid an extra $500 or $600 for children who were 17 or older . This could happen if the IRS took the number of children who qualified for the child tax credit in 2018 without updating childrens ages for 2019. But in other cases, it looks like the IRS took the number of dependents from a familys 2018 tax return, without regard to their age. The IRS has said that those who received such overpayments will not have to pay them back.
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Why Cant I Get On The Get My Payment Site
The IRS said this can happen if people dont provide security answers that match the tax agencys information over the course of several attempts to log in. The IRS asks for personal information such as a Social Security number, birthdate and address.
If you cant verify your identity, you wont be able to use Get My Payment, the IRS said. Dont contact the IRS for assistance with a lockout IRS assisters cant unlock your account.
Maybe You’re Not Eligible For The Third Stimulus Check
Before you move on to the other reasons listed, make sure you actually qualify for the third stimulus check.
The problem: New income limits to your AGI mean that some people who qualified to get the first two payments aren’t eligible to receive the third check. If you get a stimulus check for 2019 for more money than you’re eligible to receive for your 2020 taxes, you don’t need to return the money . If your 2020 taxes mean you qualify for more money than you get, you’ll be able to claim a make-up payment.
What to do: Brush up on the stimulus check requirements, including by calculating your stimulus check total. Then, compare this figure to what you actually receive. A new change this time around means that if your income is over the limit, you won’t get a partial check — no matter how many dependents you have.
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I Received A Second Payment But My Spouse Didn’t
There have been cases where a couple submit their tax returns as “married filing jointly,” and both spouses are eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check, but one spouse received a payment and the other did not . This is an error on the IRS’s part. Unfortunately, the spouse who didn’t receive a check will have to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on his or her 2020 tax return. See below for instructions on claiming the rebate on your tax return.
Help I Got An Email/text/call About A Stimulus Overpayment That I Need To Give Back
Don’t do anything this is probably fake. The Federal Trade Commission warns that fraudsters are preying on check recipients by posing as the government and requesting a return via cash, gift cards or money transfer.
“If you get an official-looking check for more than what you were expecting say, for $3,000 the next call youre likely to get is from a scammer,” the FTC says.
Remember: The IRS does not call, text or email people to ask for personal information or money. It also never threatens to bring in the police or take away your driver’s license.
Prachi Bhardwaj contributed to this story.
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What To Do If Your Stimulus Check Was Deposited Into The Wrong Bank Account
Congress passed the $1.9 trillion relief package last week, including the stimulus payments which will see individuals earning $75,000 or less receiving $1,400 each, while couples with four children can receive $5,600.
People with direct deposit accounts with the IRS, from tax returns or previous stimulus payments, for example, are more likely to receive their stimulus checks more quickly.
While some Americans have already received their stimulus checks, customers of certain banks will have to wait until Wednesday, March 17, to receive their $1,400.
However, there may be another reason why some people aren’t receiving their stimulus checks as quickly as they think they should.
There are reports of some people seeing the wrong bank account number on the IRS website when checking their payment status, and although this may be very worrying to see, it doesn’t mean that the money is lost.
The IRS gets your bank account information from either your 2019 tax return, the information you entered on your non-filer registration in 2020, the information you entered on the Get My Payment tool before December 22, 2020, or through a federal agency that provides you benefits, including the Social Security Administration, Veteran Affairs, or the Railroad Retirement Board.
Check The Get My Payment Tool
The IRS website has been uploading data for your third stimulus payment into a tool on its website called Get My Payment. If your information has been updated, you’ll be able to see the date you can expect to receive your stimulus payment, or the date it was deposited or mailed. You should also be able to see whether your money was direct deposited or whether you’ll be receiving the payment by mail.
Many people are seeing a message that says either the IRS doesn’t have enough information yet or you aren’t eligible for the payment. This message doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t eligible for the payment. This information may be updated this coming weekend.
Here are some of the issues people are seeing, either with their actual deposit or with the Get My Payment tool.
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Stimulus Checks Sent To Wrong Bank Accounts For Some Americans Checking Irs Get My Payment Tool
Some Americans say their government checks were deposited in the wrong bank accounts this weekend, forcing many of them to wait longer for the badly needed aid after struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those taxpayers were surprised to see that the last four digits of their bank account numbers were incorrect when they checked their payment status on the IRS website, an issue that happened during the first two rounds of direct payments when technical glitches from third-party tax preparers caused delays for many filers.
Some taxpayers are frustrated that they might have to wait for a paper check in the mail, while others still havent received a dime of the second payment that was supposed to arrive months ago.
When USA TODAY contacted the IRS, the agency directed all questions to the FAQ page for its Get My Payment tool.
If a filers bank information is invalid, or the account has been closed, the bank will return the payment to the IRS, and the agency will mail a check to the address on file, the IRS says on its website.
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Lori Young, 52, didnt recognize the bank account destination for her third check.
Young has received Social Security benefits via direct deposit for five years, and she hasnt changed her bank account.
You Used Turbotax’s Or H& r Block’s Refund Transfer
During the last rollout of stimulus checks in January, the IRS erroneously sent stimulus payments to holding accounts at TurboTax’s and H& R Block’s partner banks. These accounts are used when a customer opts into refund transfer, meaning they give the company permission to take its fees out of their refund before sending the refund to their bank account.
Both TurboTax and H& R Block said they provided the IRS with the correct bank accounts for customers this time around, so the mishap shouldn’t happen again but it’s not guaranteed.
In any case, if a payment bounces back to the IRS then it will be re-sent in the mail as a paper check or prepaid debit card.
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Your Stimulus Payment Went To The Wrong Bank Account
The problem: You signed up for direct deposit, but your check didn’t arrive. Why? It’s possible that your stimulus payment went to the wrong bank account. Maybe your account was closed, or an electronic transfer attempt was made for a temporary bank account, like one used on behalf of millions of people who used a tax preparer like Jackson Hewitt, TurboTax and H& R Block. Although this latter issue hasn’t been widely reported, it affected the first and second payments.
What to do: Reach out to your bank or tax preparer to see if an attempt was made to deposit money to your account. Ask if they have an internal protocol to file a report or follow up with a representative who can help.
What next? If you didn’t get a direct deposit by March 24, then your stimulus payment will most likely arrive in the mail. Here’s how to track the payment to your mailbox. The IRS is not allowing individuals to register for new direct deposit accounts or correct inaccuracies. If your third stimulus check never arrives, here are all the ways you can try to resolve the issue.
Why Do Coronavirus Stimulus Checks Go To Wrong Bank Account
One reason, and the most likely one, why your check was deposited in the wrong account is because the account number you have on the latest tax return is closed. In this case, the payment will automatically return to the IRS.
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You dont need to do anything to get the payment to the new bank account because there is no way to update your bank account. The IRS, in this case, will issue you a physical paper check or prepaid debit card.
If your usual payment method is via Direct Express card, and you get Social Security retirement and disability benefits, are railroad retirees, or get veterans’ benefits and dont file a return, then also you may face bank account confusion.
Those who get payment via Direct Express card, the IRS “Get My Payment” tool may show an account number connected with your card. You may not know this account number, but since it is connected with your card, you can be assured of the payment onto your Direct Express card once the IRS sends it.
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I Got Stimulus Money Intended For Someone Who Recently Died What Now
This happened last time the government paid out stimulus checks, too. In 2009, the Social Security Administration was in charge of sending out money during the Great Recession. The Wall Street Journal reported that it gave about 72,000 stimulus payments of $250 each to dead people. Oops.
On May 6, the IRS issued new guidance on the subject, saying that stimulus payments made to a person who died “should be returned to the IRS” in full.
The IRS wants you to do this by voiding the uncashed check and mailing it back to an IRS office with a note saying why you’re sending it back. If you already cashed it or received it via direct deposit, you’re supposed to write a check or money order for the amount and then snail-mail that in.
Confused? You can read more detailed instructions by clicking Q41 at the bottom of this page.
A Tradition Of Sexualizing Kids And Other Commentary
The Internal Revenue Service sent millions of Americans stimulus checks to the wrong bank accounts, tax preparers say a mistake the feds are now trying to fix.
The agency inadvertently sent payments to over 13 million bank accounts that are no longer open or valid, forcing affected banks to return the money to the US Treasury, according to tax-preparation service Jackson Hewitt.
The estimate is the latest sign that the IRS rollout of the $600 coronavirus relief payments suffered from a large-scale glitch as the agency worked to distribute the money by Jan. 15.
The IRS said Friday that its working to get the misplaced funds into Americans correct bank accounts. That marks a shift from earlier this week, when officials indicated that unlucky taxpayers would have to claim the payments on their 2020 tax returns later this year.
The IRS and tax industry partners are taking immediate steps to redirect stimulus payments to the correct account for those affected, the agency said in a statement. The IRS anticipates many additional taxpayers will receive payments following this effort.Tax-prep giant TurboTax said the payments would start arriving Friday in the right accounts of its millions of customers who were affected by the IRS error. Payments should be available the same day in most cases, though banks could take a few business days to process them, the company said.
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