Still Waiting On Your Stimulus Check
The rampant spread of COVID-19 in the United States has caused a serious financial impact on the U.S. economy, as the stock market plunged amidst job losses and closed businesses. A glimmer of hope, though, has been the recent passing of legislation to help boost the American economy. The stimulus checks, which are part of a $2 trillion CARES act relief package, are set to help Americans who are unemployed or losing income due to COVID-19. Americans are receiving a $1,200 direct deposit or check from the IRS, assuming you meet the eligibility criteria.
Even though millions of Americans have received their payment, there are still many who have yet to see their stimulus check. If you find yourself in this category, there could be many reasons why you dont have your check. We wanted to point out some common reasons why your check may not have arrived and what you can do to make sure it gets to you safely!
Why Did We Get Only Half The Amount
Many couples are finding that they are getting direct deposits for only a portion of what they think their stimulus payment should be. Some have gotten half of their payment deposited one week and half the next, and other couples are finding that their dependents’ share of the stimulus money is split between the two parents.
The IRS has explained that the first payment made might be based on a taxpayer’s 2019 tax return, and the second payment is a “plus-up” payment that is based on the taxpayer’s 2020 tax return.
The IRS has also said that part of the problem may be with “injured spouse” claims on a tax return. of only one spouse, the “injured” spouse can request a refund.) The IRS says that these couples will get their payments as two separate payments.
If you haven’t received the full amount, wait until you get your Notice 1444, Your Economic Impact Payment, from the IRS. That letter should have the correct amount of your stimulus payment. If you don’t receive deposits or checks in that amount, you may have to file a Recovery Rebate Credit . You can also read the IRS’s press release from April 1, which contains a lot of helpful details.
How Will I Get My Payment If I Got A Refund Anticipation Check Or Refund Anticipation Loan When I Filed My Taxes
The IRS will attempt to deliver your payment to the account information provided on your tax return. Some RALs and RACs are issued through debit cards. If the card is still active, you will receive your payment on the card. If the account or card is no longer active, the deposit will be rejected, and the IRS will send a paper check to the address on the tax return.
You can request a payment trace to track where and how your payment was delivered. You should only request a payment trace if you received IRS Notice 1444 showing that your first stimulus check was issued or if your IRS account shows your payment amount and you havent received your first stimulus check. See Question 24 to learn more about how to request a payment trace.
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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.
How Can I Get Help Completing Getctcorg
All first stimulus checks were issued by December 31, 2020. If you didnt get your first stimulus check in 2020 or didnt get the full amount you are eligible for and you dont have a filing requirement, you can use GetCTC.org. GetCTC has a chat box that you can use to communicate with an IRS-certified volunteer to help you complete the form. GetCTC.org is available through November 15, 2021.
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You Lost Income In 2020 But Not Yet Filed A Return
Some people could also receive less than they are entitled to if their income dropped in 2020 but they havent yet filed their 2020 tax returns. This could happen for a single person who earned $90,000 in 2019, which is above the cutoff of $80,000 to receive a payment, but lost their job in 2020 and only earned $45,000 last year as a result.
If that person hasnt filed their 2020 return yet, they wont receive a stimulus payment because the IRS will base its calculation on their 2019 return, which showed they arent eligible. But as soon as they file their 2020 tax return with the lower income, the IRS will issue stimulus payment to them, IRS and Treasury officials said.
More info:
How Do I Find Out If My Local Office Is Closed
Local child support offices have transitioned to providing virtual child support establishment and enforcement services. While physical child support offices will be closed to customers and visitors, services will continue to be provided over the telephone and internet.
Please visit our child support location map for an update regarding your local office.
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You Moved Or Changed Your Bank Account
This could be a worry for people who received a mailed check or pre-paid debit card but recently moved, as well as people who changed their bank accounts.
The IRS said it will open up its Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov this week. The site is meant to inform people about the status of their payment, but wont allow them to update their bank account information, Treasury and IRS officials said March 12. However, the officials added that the agencies have been working on checking whether the bank account information they have is correct for consumers.
The downside: If a check is issued to a closed or incorrect account, the IRS will need to reissue the payment in a check and mail it to your house. That could add to your wait.
You Receive Your Ca Tax Refund By Mail
California began issuing batches of stimulus payments by direct deposit back in late August but only started sending paper checks out by mail earlier this month. As a result, those who typically get their state refund through the mail should expect a delay possibly even through the new year.
Additionally, where you live can also affect when you get the payment, as mailing times are based on the taxpayers last three digits of their ZIP code.
The Franchise Tax Board provided the following timeline of when it expects mailed payments to go out:
Last 3 digits of ZIP code/mailing time frame
- 000-044: Oct. 6 through Oct. 27
- 045-220: Oct. 18 through Nov. 5
- 221-375: Nov. 1 through Nov. 19
- 376-584: Nov. 15 through Dec. 3
- 585-719: Nov. 29 through Dec. 17
- 720-927: Dec. 13 through Dec. 31
- 928-999: Dec. 27 through Jan. 11, 2022
Also Check: Get My Stimulus Payment Tracker
How Will I Receive My Stimulus Check
If you filed a tax return for tax year 2019 or 2018 or used the 2020 IRS Non-filer portal, the IRS used your information to determine the amount of your payment and delivered it using the direct deposit information , or mailing address you provided. Social Security recipients, railroad retirees, and SSDI, SSI, and VA beneficiaries were sent the payment using the information the Social Security Administration currently has on file.
If you are missing your stimulus check or didnt get the full amount that you are eligible for, you can claim your first stimulus check as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit on your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
What Can I Do If The Amount Of My Stimulus Payment Is Wrong
If you didnt get the additional $500 for your children or didnt get the full payment amount that you expected based on your eligibility, you can get the additional amount by filing a 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
If you receive Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance , or Supplemental Security Insurance OR are a railroad retiree or Veterans Affairs beneficiary, and didnt get the first stimulus check or the full amount you are eligible for, you will also have to file a 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement.
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What Should I Do If I Havent Filed My Return Yet But Want To Claim The Waiver
The IRS issued instructions for those who havent filed a return yet, but want to claim the waiver of $10,200 on unemployment insurance.
For those who havent filed yet, the IRS will provide a worksheet for paper filers and work with software industry to update current tax software so that taxpayers can determine how to report their unemployment income on their 2020 tax return, the IRS said.
The IRS is currently accepting federal returns with the new waiver for those who haven’t filed yet. Depending on your tax company, that function may or may not be available due to software upgrades needed, according to Steber. Jackson Hewitt has made all the changes under the new rule, he added.
TurboTax and H& R Block updated their online software to account for the new tax break on jobless benefits received in 2020.
What To Do If The Irs ‘needs More Information’
If the Get My Payment tool gave you a payment date but you still haven’t received your money, the IRS may need more information. Check the Get My Payment tool again and if it reports “Need More Information,” this could indicate that your check has been returned because the post office was unable to deliver it, an IRS representative told CNET. Here are more details on how the tracker tool works and what the messages mean.
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Stimulus Checks Could Be Seized To Cover Past Due Debt
If you owe child support or other debts, your first check was seized to cover those debts. The third check is subject to being taken by private debt collectors, but not the state or federal government. The same goes for the second payment, too, if you’re claiming missing money in a recovery rebate credit. You may receive a notice from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service or your bank if either of these scenarios happens.
In the case of the third check, we recommend calling your bank to confirm the garnishment request from creditors and ask for details about how long you have to file a request with a local court to stop the garnishment. If you think money has already been mistakenly seized from the first two checks, you can file a recovery rebate credit as part of your 2020 tax return — but only if you filed a tax extension.
You can track down your stimulus payment without picking up the phone.
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.
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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.
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You Requested An Itin But Havent Received One Yet
Californians who applied for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number by Oct. 15 but didnt get one yet will have an additional four months to file their tax returns and still be considered for a GSS II payment, as well as the Golden State Stimulus I program from earlier this year.
The deadline to file a 2020 return for these individuals is Feb. 15, 2022, according to the state.
More information on Golden State Stimulus payments can be found here.
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Will The Unemployment Waiver Work For States Taxes Too
More than half of states levy an income tax on jobless benefits. States will have to decide if they will also offer the tax break on state income taxes.
Its possible that some may still opt to tax the jobless aid, experts say.
Some already exempt taxes on unemployment, including California, New Jersey, Virginia, Montana and Pennsylvania. And some dont levy state income taxes at all, including Texas, Florida, Alaska, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming and South Dakota.
You Dont Qualify For A Stimulus Check
Like the first stimulus check and second stimulus check, not everyone qualifies for an Economic Impact Payment. Here is the adjusted gross income threshold for the third stimulus check to get the full $1,400 stimulus payment :
Single: $75,000
Head of Household: $112,500
$150,000
If your adjusted gross income is higher than these amounts, you wont get any stimulus payment:
$160,000
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How Do I Contact The Irs About My Child Tax Credit Questions
You may have questions about your child tax credit eligibility, a missing check or changes to your information. Your first thought may be to contact the IRS, but there’s limited live assistance due to the tax return backlog, delayed stimulus checks and unemployment tax refunds. The IRS has not announced a separate phone number for child tax credit questions, but the main number for tax-related questions is 800-829-1040.
Instead of calling, it may be faster to check the IRS website for answers to your questions. And remember that the Update Portal can help with eligibility, payment history and updating your personal information online.
Do Federal Beneficiaries Qualify For A Check
Yes. Many federal beneficiaries who filed 2019 or 2020 returns or used the Non-Filers tool last year were included in the first two batches of payments, if eligible, according to the IRS.
But a date hasnt been announced yet for when payments are expected for individuals who receive benefits but didnt file taxes in 2019 or 2020 and also didnt use the IRSs Non-Filer tool.
Many Social Security recipients and other beneficiaries still haven’t received a third round of stimulus, according to the chairs of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Social Security Administration has sent information to the IRS that will help clear the way for almost 30 million people to receive their checks, lawmakers said Thursday.
“We are gratified that the SSA leadership finally recognized the urgency of the moment and acted swiftly on our ultimatum,” members of the committee said in a statement Thursday. “Now the IRS needs to do its job and get these overdue payments out to suffering Americans.”
More information about when these payments will be made will be provided on IRS.gov as soon as it becomes available, the IRS said.
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Still Living Paycheck To Paycheck
While the stimulus checks and now-expired Child Tax Credit provided direct aid to families, “most federal aid programs miss the mark, and only reach a fraction of the intended recipients,” noted Greg Nasif, political director of Humanity Forward.
He added, “They barely functioned even before the pandemic and they leave parents with a full-time job navigating bureaucratic hurdles.” In his view, providing “speedy, efficient, direct cash support” is the best option for helping struggling families.
Many people never applied for unemployment benefits because they didn’t think they were eligible, while others may have given up due to long waits and other issues.
Even those who qualified for aid didn’t always receive it. Only 4 in 10 jobless workers actually received unemployment aid, according to a from economist Eliza Forsythe.