Stimulus Checks: Why You May Not Be Able to Track Your Coronavirus Payment

As millions of Americans still await the arrival of their coronavirus stimulus checks, some have reported that they are unable to track their payout. As the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began issuing the first wave of payments earlier this month, it launched the “Get My Payment” tool on its website. Some users, however, have reported encountering a message stating “payment status not available,” with the IRS noting a number of reasons that the message may appear.

On its FAQ page, the IRS suggests that some people may encounter the “payment status not available” message if they recently filed their 2019 tax return. In that case, the IRS may still be processing the tax filing, which could result in the message. It is also possible that for those who have filed their taxes, the “Get My Payment” tool does not yet have their data. The agency has said that it is updating the tool daily with data.

“We update ‘Get My Payment’ data once per day, overnight, so there is no need to check more often,” the IRS said, according to CBS News. “If you are eligible for a payment and have provided your information either through a recent tax return or the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here application, please check back for updates.”

Some people may also be unable to track their payouts if they do not typically file a tax return, such as some seniors who rely on Social Security as their sole source of income. For those people, the agency has created a non-filers tool, which allows them to enter their payment information to receive their stimulus check. The tool allows users to “easily and quickly” provide the IRS the necessary information for no fee.

Those who have already provided their information via the non-filers tool may be unable to track their payment due to their data having not yet been processed. Similarly, the IRS may not have uploaded the data or consumers receiving veterans benefits or Supplemental Security Income benefits yet, which could result in the error message.

Lastly, the “payment status not available” message could be encountered by those individuals who are not eligible for a stimulus payout. Although it is estimated that most households will receive a stimulus checks, millions of Americans do not qualify. Those people include single taxpayers who earn more than $99,000 and married couples with income above $198,000. Additionally, people who are 17 or 18 and adult dependents are not eligible for the $500 payment for children.