How Do I Find My Stimulus Money What To Do About A Missing $1400 Check
Your third stimulus payment could be delayed for a variety of reasons. We’ll help you track down your IRS payment.
Alison DeNisco Rayome
Managing Editor
Alison DeNisco Rayome is a managing editor at CNET, now covering home topics after writing about services and software. Alison was previously an editor at TechRepublic.
Clifford Colby
Managing Editor
Clifford is a managing editor at CNET. He spent a handful of years at Peachpit Press, editing books on everything from the first iPhone to Python. He also worked at a handful of now-dead computer magazines, including MacWEEK and MacUser. Unrelated, he roots for the Oakland A’s.
To date, the IRS has made 169 million payments for the third round of stimulus checks for $1,400. The agency continues to send weekly batches of payments, so there is still time if you are waiting for your money. However, there could actually be an issue with your payment and the IRS doesn’t want you to call them with problems related to a missing check.
Reasons for a delay could include a lag in mail delivery , if the IRS has incorrect direct deposit information for you or if the agency suspects identity theft. There might be other problems if you’re a recipient of SSI, SSDI or veterans benefits. Or maybe you received a letter from the IRS saying that your $1,400 payment was sent, but the check never arrived. Then what?
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.
If I Owe Back Child Support Will I Still Get A Payment
Yes. If you owe back child support, your stimulus payment cannot be garnished to pay that debt. The same is true if you owe federal or state debts: your stimulus payment cannot be garnished. Your payment wont be levied by the IRS, either.
This is different from the CARES Act, which specified that if you owed back child support, your stimulus payment would be garnished.
Also Check: Paypal Stimulus Check Deposit Time
You May Like: How Much Was The Stimulus 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.
What To Do If You Cant Find Your Stimulus Check
If your IRS online account shows that you should have received a stimulus payment, but you didnât get it, thereâs a chance it could have been lost in the mail. Or you might have thrown away the prepaid debit card you received.
If you lost your stimulus check or suspect it was stolen, you can request the IRS trace your payment. If the IRS determines your check hasnât been cashed, it will issue a credit to your account. It canât reissue your payment, but you can claim the payment on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit worksheet.
If a trace is initiated and the IRS determines that the check wasnât cashed, the IRS will credit your account for that payment. However, the IRS canât reissue your payment. Instead, you will need to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if eligible.
If you lost your EIP card, a prepaid debit card on which some individuals received their stimulus payment, contact card issuer MetaBank to request a replacement.
Also Check: What Was The 2021 Stimulus Check
What If I Never Got The 1st Or 2nd Stimulus Checks
If you’re missing a first or second stimulus check but believe you qualify, then you can claim the money on your 2020 tax return . The payments are worth up to $1,200 and $600 per person, respectively.
When you prepare your tax return, you’ll be asked to report the total Economic Impact Payment received to date.
There will be a separate worksheet on your tax return with instructions for calculating any outstanding amount owed to you, if anything. If you file your taxes using online software, the provider will prompt you to enter the required information and do the calculations for you.
The IRS advises filers to only fill out this portion of their return if they received less than the maximum payment amount.
What If I Already Filed My Taxes
An amended return may be needed to claim the credit if IRS records show no payment was issued.
For eligible people who didnt claim a recovery rebate credit on their 2021 tax return , they will need to file a Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return to claim the remaining amount of stimulus money if IRS records dont show that they were issued a payment.
This includes people who think they didnt get the full amount of their third-round Economic Impact Payment because their circumstances in 2021 were different than they were in 2020.
People trying to figure out if they should amend their original tax return can use this online tool.
More details on claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit can be found here.
Don’t Miss: 4th Stimulus Check For Single Person
Can A Nursing Home Or Assisted Living Facility Take The Payment From Me
No. If you qualify for a payment, its yours to keep. If a loved one qualifies and lives in a nursing home, residential care home or assisted living facility, its theirs to keep. The facility may not put their hands on it or require somebody to sign it over to them. Even if that somebody is on Medicaid.
How Will I Get My Third Stimulus Check
You dont need to do anything to get your stimulus check. The IRS will determine eligibility based on the last tax return that you filed, either 2019 or 2020, and will likely send your payment to the bank account where your tax refund was deposited.
As part of the income tax filing, the IRS receives accurate banking information for all TurboTax filers who received a tax refund, which the IRS is able to use to quickly and effectively deposit stimulus payments.
You May Like: How Much Third Stimulus Check
I Had A Problem With The First Or Second Payment
Some individuals had too much income in 2019 to qualify for the first or second stimulus payment , but their income decreased enough in 2020 for them to qualify. If you fall into this category, you can file a tax return for your 2020 taxes and you’ll receive a recovery rebate credit as part of your refund .
In other cases, families received stimulus payments by direct deposit but the IRS neglected to add money for one or more of their children. Sometimes there didn’t seem to be a reason for this . For other families, it seems the IRS did not update the number of children that taxpayers have, even for families who claimed new children on their 2019 tax returns. You’ll be able to claim the rest of the stimulus payment when you file your next tax return.
I Got A Payment Status Not Available Message
Many checking on their second stimulus check were seeing a message that said “Payment Status #2 – Not Available.” The IRS has indicated that these individuals will not receive a stimulus check by direct deposit or mail and they will have to file their 2020 tax return to claim their “Recovery Rebate Credit.” See below for instructions on claiming the rebate on your tax return.
These messages have now disappeared and will be replaced by information about the third payment.
Also Check: $2 000 Monthly Stimulus Check Update
If I Am The Custodial Parent And Im Currently Receiving Or Have Ever Received Tanf Or Medicaid For My Child Will I Receive Any Money From A Tax Return Intercepted By The Federal Government From The Noncustodial Parent On My Case
-
Maybe. Federal law dictates how monies received by a state child support agencyunder the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program are distributed. In Texas, federal tax offsets are applied first to assigned arrears, or arrears owned by the state, and then to arrearages owed to the family. If there is money owed to the state in your case, the intercept stimulus payments up to the amount owed to the state will be retained by the state. The remainder of money will be sent to you, up to the amount of unassigned arrears owed to you by the noncustodial parent.The amount of the money you are entitled to receive will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of the tax refund intercepted, the amounts owed to you in your case, and the number of other child support cases in which the noncustodial parent owes child support arrears.You must also have a full-service case open with the Child Support Division to be entitled to receive any monies from an intercepted tax return.
If I Owe Child Support Will Mytax Return Be Applied Tomychild Supportarrears
-
Maybe.Federal law and regulationsdetermine when federal payments are intercepted and applied to child support arrears.
-
IfTANFhas been received for your child,thetotalamount of past due supportonall ofyourchild support cases must be at least $150
-
IfTANFhasnotbeenreceivedfor your child,thetotalamount of past due supportonall ofyour child support casesmust be at least $500
You May Like: How To Apply For Homeowners Stimulus Package
I Got A Notice 1444 In The Mail Should I Keep It
Yes. Notice 1444 specifies the payment amount you received for the first Economic Impact Payment in 2020, while Notice 1444-B will note the amount of your second stimulus payment. If you need to complete the Economic Recovery Rebate Credit worksheet on your 2020 tax return, youll need to refer to Notice 1444 and Notice 1444-B for the amount you received. Even if you received the full stimulus payment amount, retain this notice with your 2020 tax records.
Wheres My Third Stimulus Check
OVERVIEW
The American Rescue Plan, a new COVID relief bill, includes a third round of stimulus payments for millions of Americans. Get updated on the latest information as it evolves.
For information on the third coronavirus relief package, please visit our American Rescue Plan: What Does it Mean for You and a Third Stimulus Check blog post.
A third round of stimulus checks is on the way for millions.
The American Rescue Plan, a new COVID relief bill, was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The bill includes a third round of stimulus payments for millions of Americans. We know these funds are important to you, and we are here to help.
If you are eligible, you could get up to $1,400 in stimulus checks for each taxpayer in your family plus an additional $1,400 per dependent. This means a family with two children could receive $5,600.
The IRS began issuing the first batch of stimulus payments, and they could arrive as early as this weekend , with more arriving over the coming week. Further batches of payments will arrive during the following weeks. If youre eligible, check the status of your stimulus payment and the way itll be sent to you by going to the IRS Get My Payment Tool, which will be live on March 15th.
To find out if you are eligible and how much you can expect, visit our stimulus calculator.
Also Check: Are Getting Another Stimulus Check
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.
Use The Irs Get My Payment Tool To Track Stimulus Money
For the third stimulus check: It’s worth visiting the IRS’ online portal designed to track the status of your 2021 payment. Generally, it should tell you when your check will be processed and how you’ll receive it: for example, as a paper check in the mail. If the Get My Payment tool doesn’t give you information you can understand or says your check is on the way and you haven’t received it, you may need to eventually request a payment trace or file for a recovery rebate credit.
For the first or second payment: If you can’t find the letter sent by the IRS, you’ll need to create an online profile with the IRS to see your status. For any problems, you may need to issue a payment trace or file for a recovery rebate credit, even if you don’t normally submit a tax return. Here’s more information about finding the amount of your first and second payments.
Don’t Miss: Get My Stimulus Payment For Non Filers
Your Payment Hasnt Been Sent Out Yet
The third round of stimulus checks is being sent out in batches, and as with other rounds of stimulus payments, payments made via direct deposit to bank accounts on file with the IRS are prioritized. That said, the IRS has also been mailing out paper checks and debit cards with each batch of direct deposit payments, and it will continue to mail them out in the coming weeks.
If your bank account information was not on file with the IRS, chances are good that youre going to have to wait slightly longer to receive a paper check or prepaid debit card, which will have to be processed through USPS before it hits your mailbox. This can add significant delays to the time it takes to receive your payment.
You May Like: Is There A Second Stimulus Check
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.
Read Also: How Do I Know If I Got My Stimulus Check
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.
You Didnt File A Tax Return
If you are required to file a tax return, then income eligibility for the third stimulus check is based off your adjusted gross income from 2019 or 2020. That said, not everyone is required to file a tax return . If you didnt file a tax return in these years or use the IRS Non-Filers tool, then the IRS may not have your income information to determine your eligibility to get a stimulus check.
Also Check: Is There Anymore Stimulus Checks Coming
Americans Who Didnt Receive Any Stimulus Checks At All
Many Americans out there just havent received any of their promised stimulus checks. If thats you, you should jump at the opportunity to claim your credit.
A number of circumstances can cause these delays for you: Perhaps youve moved and the IRS doesnt have your new address on file. Maybe the IRS did have the correct address or bank account information, but it never hit your checking account or perhaps got lost in the mail. All of these would be instances when you should apply to reconcile your payment on your tax return.
As always, its good practice to go back through your records and find any documents from the IRS showing your designated stimulus amount, if you have them. Then, look back through your deposit statements around the time when both stimulus checks mightve been cashed or deposited .
The IRSGet My Payment tool will be helpful for tracking both of those checks statuses. That portal should also give you information showing the date of payment and the method , according to the IRS.
If all of your research validates these suspicions, its time to claim your Recovery Rebate Credit.
