What If I Havent Filed A Tax Return
There are millions of low-income people who are not normally required to file tax returns that will have to take some action before receiving their stimulus money.
Generally, these are individuals who did not earn more than $12,200 last year or married couples who did not earn more than $24,400.
But they wont have to file a whole new form, as earlier guidance from the IRS suggested. Instead, it that asks for basic information including names, date of births, and Social Security numbers for the person filing and his or her dependents. They wont have to provide any income information.
The new tool is very straightforward, and likely much faster, than requiring non-filers to fill out and submit a tax form, said Erica York, an economist at the Tax Foundation.
The challenge will be making sure those people are aware of the tool and helping those who dont have access to the Internet at home, she said.
This story has been updated to reflect that the Get My Payment website is now live.
CNNs Vivian Salama contributed to this report.
When Are Stimulus Checks Being Sent Out
Heres the rough schedule so far, courtesy of a House Committee on Ways and Means memo:
- week of April 13: the IRS will send out 60 million payments to taxpayers for whom it has direct deposit information from their 2018 or 2019 tax returns
- late April: the IRS will do a second run of payments to Social Security beneficiaries who didnt file tax returns in 2018 or 2019 but do have direct deposit on file
- week of May 4: the IRS will start mailing paper checks at a rate of 5 million per week â a process that could last up to 20 weeks
How Do I Get My Third Stimulus Check
You dont need to do anything if:
- You have filed a tax return for tax year 2019 or 2020.
- You are a Social Security recipient, including Social Security Disability Insurance , railroad retiree. Or you are a Supplemental Security Insurance and Veterans Affairs beneficiary.
- You successfully signed up for the first stimulus check online using the IRS Non-Filers tool or submitted a simplified tax return that has been processed by the IRS.
The IRS will automatically send your payment. You can check on the status of your third stimulus check by visiting the IRS Get My Payment tool, available in English and Spanish.
If you are missing your third stimulus check, file your 2020 tax return or use GetCTC.org if you dont have a filing requirement. By submitting your information to the IRS, you will be signed up and automatically sent the third stimulus check.
Read Also: How To Fill Out Non Filers Form For Stimulus Check
Didn’t Get The Full Third Payment Claim The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit
You may be eligible to claim a 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 federal tax return.
Individuals can view the total amount of their third Economic Impact Payments through their individual Online Account. Through March 2022, we’ll also send Letter 6475 to the address we have on file for you confirming the total amount of your third Economic Impact Payment and any plus-up payments you received for tax year 2021.
You will need this information from your online account or your letter to accurately calculate your 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 federal tax return in 2022. For married filing joint individuals, each spouse will need to log into their own online account or review their own letter for their half of the total payment. All amounts must be considered if filing jointly.
Using the total amount of the third payment from your online account or Letter 6475 when preparing a tax return can reduce errors and avoid delays in processing while the IRS corrects the tax return.
Check The Status Of Your Stimulus Payment
The IRS has developed an online tool that allows people to check the status of their COVID-19 stimulus payment and see when it will arrive. The IRS will be updating this platform once a day.
> > Economic Stimulus Payments: Get My Payment
NOTE: The Get My Payment tool may be temporarily offline as the IRS makes updates to its portal based on new legislation related to Coronavirus stimulus checks.
Please continue to monitor this page as the Get My Payment tool is updated and becomes available again.
Most people will receive their stimulus check by Direct Deposit in other words, the IRS will deposit the money directly into your bank account. If you do not have your bank information on file with the IRS, then you will get a paper check or prepaid debit card in the mail. If you want to provide your bank information to the IRS for Direct Deposit and your stimulus check hasnt been mailed yet, you can do that in the Get My Payment portal as well. Additionally, the Get My Payment portal can be used to update your mailing address if needed.
Also Check: N.c. $500 Stimulus Check
Usps Is A Good Way To Track Your Paper Check
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. Informed Delivery is a mail-tracking service that automatically scans your letters and alerts you to when they’ll be delivered. Here’s more on how to set up and use the letter-tracking service from the USPS to keep tabs on your payment.
How Do I Check The Status Of My Stimulus Payment
But waiting on your stimulus check can be an anxiety-ridden process, especially at a time when nearly 10 million Americans are out of work. Use the Treasury Departments tracker:
If youre seeing a payment status not available error message on the platform, the IRS says one of the following issues might be occurring:
The platform is typically updated overnight, meaning you wont see a new message if youre checking for updates more regularly than once a day.
Also Check: Create Irs Account For Stimulus Check
Are You Missing Your Stimulus Check
Last year, the American Rescue Plan was signed into law in March, and it allowed for a round of stimulus checks worth up to $1,400 apiece. Many people were able to collect their money in the weeks or months that followed. But to this day, there are people who are eligible for a stimulus payment but have yet to receive that money.
The IRS is trying to make those people aware that they’re entitled to that windfall. As such, the agency plans to send letters to more than 9 million households telling them they may be due a $1,400 stimulus payment.
And that’s not all. The American Rescue Plan also boosted the Child Tax Credit in 2021, increasing its maximum value from $2,000 per child to $3,000 for children aged 6 to 17 and $3,600 for those under age 6. Parents who never received payments for that credit may now be due those funds.
Why are so many people missing this money? Very low earners are not required to file a tax return. But without that information, the IRS didn’t know who to send stimulus and Child Tax Credit payments to last year.
How To Use Irs ‘get My Payment’
The IRS also updated frequently asked questions Saturday on how to use the “Get My Payment” tool, which requires users to enter their full Social Security number or tax ID number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code.
But before you start entering your information hourly, the IRS says the tool updates once per day, usually overnight and that people should not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don’t have information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov.
The tool will show the status of when a payment has been issued and the payment date for direct deposit or mail, according to the frequently asked questions. Some will get a message that says “Payment Status Not Available.”
“If you get this message, either we have not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment,” the IRS said. “We will continue to send the 2021 Economic Impact Payment to eligible individuals throughout 2021.”
And others will get a “Need More Information” message when using the tool if the payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it for another reason.
If your address has changed the IRS says the easiest way to update is to “file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you havent already done so. Once we receive your current address, we will reissue your payment.”
Contributing: Jessica Menton, USA TODAY
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko
Read Also: Stimulus Checks For Grocery Workers
Illinois Income Tax Rebate
To qualify for the Illinois income tax rebate, you had to be an Illinois resident in 2021 and the adjusted gross income on your 2021 Illinois tax return must be under $200,000 . The size of your income tax rebate depends on your filing status and the number of dependents claimed on your 2021 Illinois tax return. Each qualifying person gets $50 , plus $100 per dependent for up to three dependents. So, for example, a qualified married couple with three children will get a $400 income tax rebate. If you add on a $300 property tax rebate, they could get as much as $700.
As with the property tax rebate, you had to file your 2021 Illinois income tax return with Schedule IL-E/EIC if you have dependents by October 17.
What The Online Get My Payment Tool Can’t Tell You
The IRS tool won’t give you hourly updates — the status information is updated once daily — nor will it tell you how much stimulus money you’re getting or provide details on the first two stimulus checks approved in 2020. You won’t find steps for what to do if you run into payment problems.
The IRS doesn’t want you to call if you have payment trouble. The agency says its representatives don’t have information beyond what’s shown in the tool. Here’s what we recommend doing to address a stimulus issue.
Another way to find out more info on your third payment is to create an IRS account online. If you are sent a plus-up payment after your 2020 tax return is processed, you should see the amount of your plus-up payment with your online account.
Also Check: Claiming Stimulus Check On Taxes 2021
Here’s How You Can Track Your Incoming Check
People can check the Get My Payment tool on the IRS.gov website to track the status of their payment.
Then you will most likely be brought to this message ” THIS U.S. GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IS FOR AUTHORIZED USE ONLY.”
Once you read the message — hit “OK”
You will be brought to a page titled “GET MY PAYMENT.”
You will need to input the following information: Social Security Number or Individual Tax ID Number , date of birth, street address, and ZIP, or postal code.
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.
Don’t Miss: When Will The $1400 Stimulus Checks Be Mailed Out
How To Get Your Money
If the IRS sends you a letter saying you may be due stimulus funds, don’t ignore it. To get that money, all you need to do is file a tax return for 2021 — even if you’re not required to.
The IRS plans to keep its Free File option open until Nov. 17 this year, which is a month longer than usual, to allow lower earners to submit their taxes electronically at no cost. The service is available to filers with an income of $73,000 or less. Meanwhile, single tax-filers earning under $12,500 for 2021 and married couples earning under $25,000 can sign up for the Child Tax Credit here.
You May See A Need More Information Message
According to the IRS FAQ, a Need More Information message in the Get My Payment tool means your payment was returned because the US Postal Service wasnt able to deliver it.
The FAQ says youll be able to have your payment reissued as a direct deposit by providing a bank routing and account number, a prepaid debit card or a financial service account that has a routing and account number associated with it. The FAQ says you can also update your mailing address to receive your payment.
Recommended Reading: Who Qualifies For Stimulus Check
Read Also: Irs Sign Up For Stimulus
Invest Your Stimulus Checks For A Better Future
Despite rising inflation, the unemployment rate continues to drop while wages are on the rise. If youre not at risk of being priced out of your apartment or commute thanks to inflation, a lump-sum investment may be just what your finances need.
On one hand, its true that dollar-cost averaging is one of the best ways to smooth over volatility in your portfolio. However, historical studies suggest that a timely lump-sum investment can produce greater long-term returns.
And though the market is on the rise, the major indices remain down year-to-date, offering plenty of wiggle room to capture profits.
Or perhaps youd prefer to save half and invest the rest after all, it never hurts to have a safety net.
Either way, Q.ai has just what you need.
With our curated Investment Kits, your money goes into the markets to start working for you. Meanwhile, your Cash Reserve balance will earn a little interest on saved funds without being subject to the whims of the market.
Its the simpler, smarter way to invest no matter the economic climate.
for access to AI-powered investment strategies. When you deposit $100, well add an additional $50 to your account.
Inflation Stimulus Checks Are Coming To These States
9 Min Read | Jul 21, 2022
Wait a minuteare people really talking about stimulus money again?Thats right, just when you thought they were all a long lost thing of the past, here come inflation stimulus checks. The whole point of these is to, you guessed it, help combat inflationnot to stimulate the economy like those other checks did. After all, that might have a little something to do with why we have this killer inflation in the first place. But thats a topic for another day . . .
So, whats the deal with inflation stimulus checks, and is your state on the list for dishing one out? Lets see what the fuss is all about.
COVID Tax Tip 2020-128, September 29, 2020
Eligible individuals can visit IRS.gov and use the Get My Payment tool to find out the status of their Economic Impact Payment. This tool will show if a payment has been issued and whether the payment was direct deposited or sent by mail.
In certain situations, this tool will also give people the option of providing their bank account information to receive their payment by direct deposit. Information is updated once a day, usually overnight, so theres no need to check it more than once a day.
Don’t Miss: Can Unemployed Get Stimulus Check
Undelivered Federal Tax Refund Checks
Refund checks are mailed to your last known address. If you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service , your refund check may be returned to the IRS.
If you were expecting a federal tax refund and did not receive it, check the IRS’Wheres My Refund page. You’ll need to enter your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund. You may be prompted to change your address online.
You can also to check on the status of your refund. Wait times to speak with a representative can be long. But, you can avoid waiting by using the automated phone system. Follow the message prompts when you call.
If you move, submit a Change of Address – Form 8822 to the IRS you should also submit a Change of Address to the USPS.
