Last week, President Joe Biden signed a bill that, among other things, approved another round of COVID-19 stimulus checks. About 90% of Americans are expected to get payments. Individuals who make less than $75,000 and couples who make less than $150,000 qualify for the payments of $1400 per person including children. That means that a family of 4 would get $5600.
If you qualify for a stimulus check, you’re probably wondering when you’re going to get it. While direct deposit payments will go out first, the IRS plans to send out prepaid debit cards and paper checks before the end of March.
For more details about when exactly you should expect to get your stimulus check, the IRS has created a helpful tool called “Get My Payment.” When you go to the IRS’s website and click “Get My Payment,” you’ll be taken to a screen where you need to enter some information including your social security number, birthdate and street address.
Once you enter the required information, you’ll be taken to a screen where you will find out when and how you will be getting the payment. For example, if your payment has already been scheduled for direct deposit, you will find that out along with what date it will be deposited.
Instead of seeing a scheduled payment method and date, some Americans may see a message that reads, “Payment Status Not Available”. According to the IRS, there are 2 reasons Americans would see this message. Either they do not qualify for a stimulus check, or the payment simply hasn’t been processed yet.
If you feel that you qualify for a stimulus check but see the “Not Available” status, the IRS encourages you to come back and try the “Get My Payment” tool at a later time. The tool is updated once a day, and the IRS will be sending out payments throughout 2021.
Other Americans may see a message that reads, “More Information Needed.” If you see this message, it means your payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was not able to deliver it.
If your address has recently changed, the IRS highly encourages you to submit your 2020 taxes so that your new address will be on file. Then they can send you a check to your current address.
There’s no need to bother calling the IRS for information about your stimulus check’s status. According to the IRS website, “Our phone assistors don’t have information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov.”
Do you qualify for a stimulus check? Did you use the “Get My Payment” tool to find out when you will be getting your payment? How are you going to spend this third stimulus check?