While 130 million stimulus checks have been dispersed by the IRS, another 20 million reportedly still need to be pushed. More than half deemed eligible received their payment by mid-April, and while the IRS is currently trying to issue the economic relief payments to offset the burden of the coronavirus pandemic, it hasn’t come without issues. While some checks are going out slowly, others seem to be lost in transition according to recipients who haven’t been able to track theirs. If you are someone who has yet to get paid, here are a few reasons why and what you can potentially do to speed things up or find answers.
If you filed a tax return for both 2018 or 2019, receive Social Security benefits, or if you’re a veteran or have retired from railroads, then you should receive a payment within the next three weeks. If you receive your tax return payment via direct deposit, payments for these individuals have already been sent out. If you get Social Security Benefits, are a veteran or have retired from railroads, these payments started going out last week and are delivered the same way these individuals normally receive their checks. If you don’t fall under one of those categories or do not typically receive a tax return via direct deposit, you can expect a check in the mail. Those checks will be sent out starting with those with the lowest income to those with the highest income.
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According to the Washington Post, from April 24 to Sept. 4, around 5 million paper checks will be mailed out. The IRS will send them out according to annual income amount. Those who make between $30,000 and $40,000 will be sent checks on May 8. The following week, they’ll increase the annual amount by $10,000 and those who make that amount per year will receive their checks. This process will continue until there are no checks left. On Sept. 11, the IRS will send out all remaining payments.
If you’re having issues receiving your payment or aren’t sure where it is, you can visit the IRS website “Get My Payment” to see your status. However, if you have issues with that — since there have been reported issues on the website — make sure to double check your personal information. It has to match exactly what is on your tax return. Some people have noticed that putting their address in all capital letters has worked for them. If you receive “Payment Status Not Available”, it’s likely because you didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 tax return or it hasn’t been fully processed. This also could be the result of your payment having been processed but that the information hasn’t transferred to the website just yet. The IRS has said they are working to smooth things out as much as possible as distribution continues.
