The U.S. government has distributed about 130 million economic impact payments to taxpayers in less than 30 days. About 150 million payments have yet to be sent. (AP Photo/Eric Gay),
It’s been a month since the Internal Revenue Service started disbursing economic impact payments — better known as stimulus checks — to help Americans offset the financial burdens caused by the new coronavirus pandemic.
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The distribution has experienced some road bumps, including an overwhelmed website, payments to deceased taxpayers and money sent to inactive accounts. It’s also possible that while 130 million payments have been sent, you’re still waiting for yours.
If you are, there’s no reason to be alarmed — the IRS anticipates sending out another 150 million payments in the coming weeks, according to the Associated Press.
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Technical difficulties aside, the easiest way to track your payment remains the Get Your Payment tool on the IRS website.
However, if you encounter other hiccups in getting your payment, here are the answers to some common questions Americans are asking, as compiled by AP.
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Why haven’t I received my payment yet?
The IRS is sending payments out in steps, and they were prioritized in order from lowest income to highest income.
For those with direct deposit information on file with the IRS, based on their 2019 or 2018 tax return, payments began going out on April 10. If the IRS does not have your direct deposit information, use the Get My Payment tool to provide your bank account information. Do it quickly, though — you have until noon on May 13 to submit your information. Otherwise, your check will come in the mail.
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Those who opt not to provide their account information will also be mailed a paper check, which could take several months to receive.
Payments started going out the week of April 26 to Social Security beneficiaries, railroad retirees and veterans who aren’t required to file a tax return. Others not required to file a tax return, such as low-income individuals, are encouraged to file basic information on the IRS website. Without this information, the government cannot issue a payment.
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The Get My Payment tool isn’t working for me. Why?
The IRS tool is not perfect. It’s had its fair share of glitches since it rolled out last month.
When you enter your information to see your payment status, what you type must match your tax return exactly. If the tool doesn’t accept what you type, look closely for minor differences, such as spelling out “street” instead of abbreviating it. Some users had success with putting the address in all caps. Also consider removing all punctuation.
Fair warning: Three unsuccessful attempts to log on in one day will leave a user locked out for 24 hours as a security precaution.
Why am I getting error messages when I check on my payment?
This essentially means the IRS cannot determine your eligibility at that moment. One reason could be that you didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 return, or it hasn’t been fully processed. It could also be because the site simply doesn’t have the information available yet — the agency is adding more data for use every day.
I don’t use the bank account the IRS has on file. What do I do?
If the account is closed or inactive, your bank will likely reject the payment, and a paper check will be mailed to the address on your tax return.
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My deceased relative got a check. Can I keep it?
These payments should be returned to the IRS. However, the agency has yet to issue formal guidance, saying it’s aware of the problem and is working to resolve it.
More information about the economic impact payments is available on the IRS website.
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