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.
How To Track Your $600 California Golden State Stimulus Check
In February, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that qualifying Californians will receive a $600 Golden State stimulus check. The stimulus package was signed by Newsom on February 23, and a total of 5.7 million Californians will be eligible according to the governors office. $600 payments have started to go out to Californians on April 15th from The California Franchise Tax Board and will be received in the same way you received your tax return. For eligibility on the Golden State Stimulus click here! If eligible, the speed at which you will receive your payment depends on when you filed your taxes. The state must receive your 2020 taxes before the payment is sent and the deadline to send your taxes for the one-time payment is October 15, 2021. If your taxes were filed between January 1st and March 1st you can expect the Golden State Stimulus after April 15th. If you filed after March 2nd it can take up to 45 days to receive payment depending on the method of delivery.
The California Franchise Tax Board has a wait-time availability on their website for the Golden State Stimulus. Eligible residents can contact The California Franchise Tax Board by talking with a representative on their website or by calling 800-852-5711.
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Third Payments Differed From Previous Economic Impact Payments
The third payments differed from the earlier payments in several respects:
- Income phaseout amounts changed. Payments were reduced for individuals with adjusted gross income of more than $75,000 . The reduced payments ended at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married filing jointly. People above these levels did not receive any payment.
- Payment amounts are different. Most families received $1,400 per person, including all dependents claimed on their tax return. Typically, this means a single person with no dependents received $1,400, while married filers with two dependents received $5,600.
- Qualifying dependents expanded. Unlike the first two payments, the third payment was not restricted to children under 17. Eligible individuals received a payment based on all of their qualifying dependents claimed on their return, including older relatives like college students, adults with disabilities, parents and grandparents.
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Whats A Gross Income And Where Can I Find Mine
Your gross income includes income from selling your main home and gains reported on Form 8949 or Schedule D and from sources outside the US.
Your gross income doesnt include any Social Security benefits unless:
- Youre married but filing separately and lived with your spouse at some point in 2019.
- Half your Social Security benefits plus your other gross income and any tax-exempt interest is more than $25,000 filing single .
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How Much Money Will I Get
- Adults whose adjusted gross income is less than $75,000/year will get $1,400 for each adult, plus $1,400 for each dependent no matter how old they are. This applies to heads of households who make less than $112,500, as well.
- The IRS will use income information from your 2020 tax return if they received that return before sending your money. Otherwise they will use information from your 2019 tax return.
- If the IRS sends your payment based on a 2019 return and then your 2020 return says you qualify for more , they will send an additional payment to make up for the difference. To get the additional payment, you must file the 2020 tax return by 90 days from the filing deadline or September 1, 2021, whichever is earlier.
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When To Request A Payment Trace
If the “Get My Payment” tool says that your third stimulus payment was issued as a direct deposit into your bank account, you should first check with your bank before submitting a payment trace request to make sure they didn’t get a deposit. But wait at least five days after the estimated delivery date. Otherwise, the bank might not have the necessary information. After five days, you can request a payment trace if the bank still hasn’t received your payment.
If you were scheduled to get a third-round paper stimulus check in the mail, the IRS can’t initiate a payment trace unless it has been:
- Four weeks since the check was mailed to a standard address
- Six weeks since the check was mailed if you have a forwarding address on file with the local post office or
- Nine weeks since the check was mailed to a foreign address.
and check with your local consulate for more information.)
What Do I Do If My Payment Was Sent To The Wrong Bank Account
Many taxpayers who used H& R Block, TurboTax or another tax preparation software company have reported issues with receiving their payments. Like with many of the second stimulus checks, the IRS has seemingly sent the funds to the wrong bank accounts.
The IRS has said that if this is the case, the funds will be sent back to the agency and then reissued as either a paper check or debit card and sent to the address the agency has on file for each affected taxpayer. The Get My Payment tool will show the updated information when it’s available.
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Can You Get A Recovery Rebate Credit If You Got Your Third Check
In a very specific circumstance, people who receive the third stimulus check may still be able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their taxes. The amount of money each taxpayer received in their Economic Impact Payment was calculated based on the number of dependents in their household on their 2019 taxes. If the household gained a new dependent by the 2020 tax filing season, the taxpayer would be eligible to receive a plus-up payment. This would bring their original check amount in line with what they wouldve been eligible for if their new dependent had been accounted for initially.
For example, a married couple who had a baby in 2020 may have initially received a $2,800 third stimulus check $1,400 for each spouse. They wouldve become eligible for a plus-up payment of $1,400 due to the 2020 birth of their baby. If they didnt receive a plus-up payment by the end of December 2021, they could claim a $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 taxes.
Many Americans didnt receive third stimulus checks. In some cases, it was because they filed their 2020 taxes late. In other cases, the IRS simply didnt get to them in time. Either way, all eligible taxpayers who havent received third stimulus checks can take action by claiming the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 taxes.
What Do I Do If I Am Missing A Stimulus Check
If you are eligible for payments and you think you are missing money, the IRS encourages you to contact the agency.
Americans can check the status of their stimulus check on the Get My Payment app.
For questions regarding your stimulus status, the IRS asks you to contact -800-919-9835 but filling out the Rebate Recovery Credit form with your taxes should still be a priority.
The IRS reveals the quickest way to receive money is to request a direct deposit instead of a mailed paper check.
The deadline to file penalty-free was April 18 but you could have gotten an extra six months if you filed for an extension.
Experts say it is better to file something or to file for an extension than to miss the filing deadline.
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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.
You May Not Receive A Check This Round Even If You Got One Before
The income limits for this new round of stimulus checks have changed. So even if you previously received a stimulus check, you may not qualify for this one.
The adjusted gross income maximum income for the American Rescue Plan Act are:
- Individuals earning $80,000
- Head of households earning $120,000
If your AGI exceeds these amounts, your household will not qualify for the stimulus payment.
Additionally, the phase-out for stimulus reductions is more complicated to calculate this time around. Since the maximum income threshold is fixed, your total stimulus check will be reduced proportionately by the amount earned over $75,000 for individuals, $112,500 for heads of households, or $150,000 for joint filers until it hits the phase-out limits above.
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Stimulus Checks: Marriages And Divorce
Q. We got married in 2020 how does that affect the amount we will get?A. Filing as jointly married versus separate for 2020 wont change the total maximum stimulus amount and you wont have to repay any stimulus you already received. However, now that youre married, you should determine whether it makes more sense to file jointly or separately, and its possible that one spouse with a higher income could affect eligibility for the recovery rebate credit.
For example, lets say you and your spouse had AGI amounts of $35,000 and $105,000 respectively. As single filers, youd receive the full stimulus payment because your AGI of $35,000 is below the threshold, but your spouses AGI of $105,000 would be over the limit and wouldnt qualify for a stimulus payment. However, if you file jointly for 2020, your combined AGI of $140,000 is below the threshold for joint filers, so you could claim your spouses portion as the recovery rebate credit.
Those who get married in 2021 will have a similar situation when they file their 2021 return.
Q. How does a recent divorce affect my stimulus check?A. What if you were married and filed jointly on your tax return and have since become separated or divorced? If the IRS issued a payment based on a jointly filed return, you will allocate half of each payment to each spouse when you calculate your credit on your single status returns.
Irs Get My Payment: How To Use The Online Tracker Tool
To get an update on your third stimulus check using Get My Payment, enter your Social Security number, date of birth, street address and ZIP or postal code. The tool will display a message with information about your payment. You can see things like whether your money was sent or is scheduled to be sent, the payment method and the date your stimulus money was issued. The tool may also say it can’t yet determine your status — see more below about error messages.
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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.
How Do I Get It
- The stimulus payments will be processed by the IRS.
- If you have already filed a 2019 tax return, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You will receive it in the same form as your tax refund. If you requested direct deposit, then the stimulus will be direct deposited. If you requested a paper check, then the stimulus will be mailed to the same address on your 2019 tax return.
- If you entered your information into the IRS non-filer portal earlier in 2020, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You do not have to do anything.
- If you receive one of the following benefits, you will get the stimulus payment automatically. You do not have to do anything.
- Social Security
- Veterans Affairs
- Railroad Retirement
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What Information Will The Trace Provide Me
The IRS will process your claim for a missing payment in one of two ways:
- If the check was not cashed, they will reverse your payment and notify you. If you find the original check, you must return it as soon as possible. You will need to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return to receive credit for EIP 1 and EIP 2, and then claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return for EIP 3, if eligible.
- If the check was cashed, the Treasury Departments Bureau of the Fiscal Service will send you a claim package that includes a copy of the cashed check. Follow the instructions. The Treasury Departments Bureau of the Fiscal Service will review your claim and the signature on the canceled check before determining whether the payment can be reversed. If reversed, you will need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020, or 2021 return depending on what EIP payment in reference, if eligible.
Filing A Payment Trace To Find Missing Stimulus Money
You can request an IRS payment trace if you received the confirmation letter from the IRS that your payment was sent , or if the Get My Payment tool shows that your payment was issued but you have not received it within certain time frames. This is the case for all three checks. Check out our guide to requesting an IRS Payment Trace here.
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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.
How To Request A Payment Trace
There are two ways to request a payment trace for a third stimulus check:
- Mail or fax a completed Form 3911 to the IRS.
Pick only one method . Also remember that you can’t request a payment trace before the timeframes described above the IRS can’t process a request until after the appropriate time period has passed.
If you’re using Form 3911, make sure you:
- Write “EIP3” on the top of the form to identify the payment you want to trace
- Complete the form answering all refund questions as they relate to your third stimulus payment
- When completing item 7 under Section 1, check the box for “Individual” as the type of return, enter “2021” as the tax period, and don’t write anything for the date filed and
- Sign the form .
Mail or fax the form to the appropriate address or fax number according to the chart below. Don’t send anything other than a Form 3911 to the fax numbers listed.
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