Where’s My 3rd Stimulus Check
The IRS is sending stimulus funds throughout 2021. If you haven’t received your payment yet, don’t assume you won’t ever get it.
You can check the status of your stimulus check using the IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool, which updates once a day. It will show you when and how your money is being sent, either direct deposit or through the mail .
If you get a “not available” status message, the IRS says you’re either not eligible for a third stimulus check or your payment hasn’t been processed yet. If you get a “need more information” message, you can enter your direct-deposit details to speed up your payment.
If you didn’t qualify for the third check based on 2019 income but that’s the most recent return the IRS has for you, file your 2020 return as soon as you can. Your payment will be sent once the IRS has processed your return.
If you aren’t required to file a tax return because your income is too low and you didn’t register using the IRS nonfilers tool last year, you will need to file a 2020 tax return to get any of the stimulus checks.
Get My Payment Says Payment Issued But I Haven’t Received It
The IRS says that it may take three to four weeks to receive a check after it’s mailed. If it has been weeks since the Get My Payment tool says the payment was mailed, and you haven’t received it, you can request a payment trace. The IRS will research what happened to your check if the check wasn’t cashed, you will need to claim the “Recovery Rebate Credit” on your next tax return. If the IRS finds that the check was cashed, you’ll receive a claim package from the Treasury Department with a copy of the cashed check and instructions on filing a claim.
Similarly, if the Get My Payment tool says your payment was direct-deposited, but the money doesn’t show in your bank account after five days, first check with your bank. If the bank says it hasn’t received a payment, you can request a payment trace.
To request a payment trace, call 800-919-9835 or fill out IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.
You Have A New Bank Account
Your third stimulus check payment will be directly deposited into your bank account if the IRS has your bank information from:
- Your 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return
- The “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” tool used for first-round stimulus payments
- The “Get My Payment” tool, if the information was provided in 2020
- A federal agency that issued benefits to you or
- Federal records of recent payments to or from the government.
Direct deposit is the quickest and easiest method of delivering your payment. However, if you recently closed the bank account that the IRS has on record, then the payment will be delayed. By law, the bank must return the payment to the IRS if the account is inactive or closed. Unfortunately, if you closed your account, there’s no way to provide the IRS with your new bank account information for third stimulus check purposes. As a result, you will either receive a paper check or debit card by mail.
If the IRS sends a paper check or debit card, that will take longer than getting a direct deposit payment because it has to go through the regular mail.
If the IRS doesn’t send a third-round payment at all, then you’ll have to claim the third stimulus check money that you should have received as a Recovery Rebate credit on your 2021 income tax return, which you won’t file until next year.
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Check Whether You Have Inactive Bank Account
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If the IRS tried to send your check to an old bank account, and it was rejected, youre getting a paper check, which will take longer to receive.
If the account is closed or no longer active, the bank will reject the deposit and you will be issued a check that will be mailed to the address we have on file for you, the IRS says. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service . You do not need to call the IRS to change your Payment method or update your address at this time.
The IRS adds: As required by law and for security reasons, a letter about the Payment will be mailed to each recipients last known address within 15 days after the Payment is made. The letter will provide information on how the Payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the Payment.
If you dont have a bank account at all, youre getting a paper check, which takes longer. We will mail your Payment to the address we have on file for you. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service , the IRS says.
The Latest On $1400 Stimulus Checks
This tax season, the government is also issuing a third tranche of third stimulus checks for up to $1,400 per individual, plus $1,400 per eligible dependent.
Last week, the IRS and other agencies said about 127 million checks have been sent to date, for a total of approximately $325 billion.
Those $1,400 payments are generally based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns, whichever was most recently filed and processed by the IRS. Those who used the IRS non-filer tool last year should also automatically get their payments.
There are also advantages to filing a 2020 return in order to receive the $1,400 payment, according to the IRS.
If your income dropped from 2019 to 2020, you could be eligible for a larger payment. The IRS has said it may potentially send follow-on payments to those people after their 2020 tax returns are processed.
Filing a 2020 tax return also lets you update your direct deposit information.
This tax season, non-filers are also required to file a tax return in order to get their payment, provided they have not already submitted their information to the government.
Of note, people who receive federal benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement Board and Veterans Affairs will generally receive their stimulus checks automatically, though there have been delays in processing some of those payments.
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Is Your Stimulus Check Missing Or Inaccurate Heres What To Do
Here’s what you can do if your stimulus check is inaccurate or missing.
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These are stressful times. And while the federal government is stepping in to provide stimulus payments as relief to Americans, getting out millions of these payments means there are bound to be a few glitches.
If your stimulus payment was issued for the wrong amount , there may be ways to remedy the situation. But keep in mind that the IRS is working hard to release new guidance almost daily. As of right now, there are certain situations that dont have definite answers or solutions. The best thing to do right now is to remain patient for more information, as hard as that may be.
Stimulus checks are being generated based on the most recent banking information the IRS has on file for you. If your 2019 or 2018 return did not include a bank routing number and account number, then the IRS will have to mail you a physical check .
Here are a few common stimulus check errors, and some insight on how they might be able to be fixed.
What If The Irs Sends The Incorrect Amount
The IRS has said that the third stimulus payments will be based on 2020 income. So if you receive a payment before the agency processes last year’s return but you qualify for more money based on your 2020 income, the agency will top off your stimulus payment at some point this year.
Taxpayers won’t have to do anything to get all of the money they are eligible for, except file their 2020 returns. If you qualify for less money in 2020, you will not owe any money back.
This is also true for people who have a child during the year, or who receive an incorrect payment amount.
The agency has so far not given a date for when it expects to make these additional payments.
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Eligibility For A ‘plus
You can estimate how much money the IRS owes your household for the third stimulus check. Just make sure to triple-check that you meet the qualifications, including the income limits.
Because of the overlap with tax season 2020, many people may receive some, but not all, of their allotted amount. If your income changed in 2020, in some cases, the IRS may owe you more money than you received if the income figure used to calculate your payment from your tax returns in 2018 or 2019 is less in 2020. Likewise, if you now have a new dependent, such as a new baby, you may be owed more money.
The IRS is automatically sending “plus-up payments” to make up the difference. If you don’t get one, you may need to claim the missing money another way later in 2021 or even in 2022, since tax season is officially over now.
You’re Married And Filed A Joint Tax Return
If you’re married and filed a joint tax return, half of your third stimulus payment might be delayed. That’s because the IRS is sending two separate payments to some joint filers. The first half may come as a direct deposit, which you may have already received. But the other half is then mailed to the address the IRS has on file, which is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the U.S. Postal Service. The second payment could come the same week as the first oneor it might not arrive for a few weeks.
If you’re a joint filer and only get half of what you should have received, both you and your spouse should check the IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool separately using your own Social Security number to see the status of your payments.
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How Do I Track My Payment
Taxpayers can track the status of their payments using the IRS’s Get My Payment tool, which is updated once a day. You will likely receive one of three types of messages:
- “Payment Status” will show you the date your payment was processed and will tell you if you will receive funds via direct deposit or in the mail. If the tool says that you are eligible for a payment, but there is no date shown, that means that the IRS hasn’t processed your payment yet. It does not mean that you won’t receive one you will just get it in a future wave of payments.
- “Payment Status Not Available” means the IRS either hasn’t yet determined your eligibility or that you’re not eligible at all.
- “Need More Information” means one of the two things: Either the IRS does not have your account information and your payment hasn’t been processed yet, or the postal service was unable to deliver your payment and it was returned to the IRS.
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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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.
When Will I Get The Recovery Rebate Credit
You will most likely get the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of your tax refunds. If you electronically file your tax return, you will likely receive your refund within 3 weeks. If you mail your return, it can take at least 8 weeks to receive your refund.
Claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit will not delay your tax refund. However, if you dont claim the correct amount of the Recovery Rebate Credit, your refund may be delayed while the IRS corrects the error on your return. The IRS will send you a notice of any changes made to your return.
You can check on the status of your refund using the IRS Check My Refund Status tool.
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Make Sure You Gave The Irs Your Basic Information
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Not everyone needs to file a tax return to get a stimulus check, but some people do. You can find out if you need to file a tax return here.
Some categories of people dont need to file tax returns to get their checks. The IRS says:
You are not required to file a tax return and will automatically receive a $1,200 Payment if you received Social Security retirement, SSDI, survivors benefits, SSI, Railroad Retirement benefits, or VA Compensation and Pension benefits in 2019. You do not need to contact the IRS, Social Security Administration , the Railroad Retirement Board or Veterans Affairs. The IRS will use the information from your 2019 benefits to generate a Payment to you if you did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019. You will receive your Payment as a direct deposit or by mail, just as you would normally receive your federal benefits.
But what if you arent one of the people above and you didnt file a federal tax return for 2018 or 2019? You have to provide basic information to the IRS to receive your Payment. The IRS urges you to take one of the following actions as soon as you can, the IRS says of those people.
You can use the non-filers payment tool to enter information the IRS needs here. If the IRS doesnt get your information, you wont get a check.
Advance Child Tax Credit
Even if you dont pay any taxes, you may qualify for a refund of the CTC.
The CTC was expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for tax year 2021 only. If you are eligible, you should have begun receiving advance Child Tax Credit payments on July 15. The payments will continue monthly through December 2021. Under ARPA, families are eligible to receive:
- Up to $3,000 per qualifying child between ages 6 and 17
- Up to $3,600 per qualifying child under age 6
The Internal Revenue Service began sending out letters in early June to more than 36 million families who may be eligible for the monthly payments. Most families do not need to do anything to get their payments, as long as theyve filed their 2020 or 2019 tax return. Learn more about the letter and how it can help you determine your eligibility.
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What Ssi Ssdi And Veteran Beneficiaries Need To Know
The IRS began sending out stimulus checks for Social Security beneficiaries, including those who are part of the SSI and SSDI programs, on April 7. It began sending payments to people who receive veteran benefits and don’t typically file taxes on April 14. If you’re part of one of these groups and haven’t gotten your check yet, it may be on the way soon.
The Social Security Administration has also advised people not to contact the SSA about problems. It’s possible you may need to use one of the strategies above, depending on what the trouble is.
Received A Payment In Error
If you received the Golden State Stimulus payment and believe this is an error, please review the eligibility qualifications above to verify this is an erroneous payment. Once verified, follow the instructions that correspond to the payment received:
Direct deposits:
Paper checks that have not been cashed:
ATTN: Golden State Stimulus FundFranchise Tax Board
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Didn’t Get Your $1400 Coronavirus Stimulus Check The Irs Can Help
Your first stop: the IRS’ helpful online tool.
Here’s What You Need To Know: Many people may not be aware, but U.S. taxpayers can actually speak to a live human regarding their missing stimulus checks.
With the disbursement of the latest much-anticipated sixth batch of coronavirus stimulus checks to two million more Americans, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have sent out a total of one hundred sixty-one million payments worth more than $379 billion.
To date, the figures represent more than 85 percent of the $450 billion total earmarked for stimulus fundsbut know that despite this achievement, there appears to be thousands of Americans who are still struggling to get their hands on the stimulus cash.
There is, however, good news that may lower some anxiety levels. For those who are missing one or more stimulus check payments, there is still time to claim the money due from the government.
Be aware, though, that the deadline is fast approachingand will close on the extended Tax Day of May 17.
For weeks, the government has been urging Americans who do not receive federal benefits or typically file tax returns to submit one this year in order to provide their necessary payment information to receive the cash.
If you didnt get any payments or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit even if you dont normally file, states the IRS website.