The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) confirmed stimulus payments would officially begin on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2021. Although some taxpayers may see the Economic Impact Payments (EIP3) before that official date — the first batch will be sent out by direct deposit as early as March 12.
Stimulus payments will continue to be distributed in the coming weeks either by direct deposit or through the mail in the form of a check or debit card.
Similar to the first two rounds of the COVID-19 stimulus assistance, taxpayers will be able to track the status of their payments by going to this IRS portal, “Get My Payment.” The link will be live until Monday, March 15.
The information for the first two stimulus distributions is not available on the link. But not to worry, the IRS has Americans covered. Non-taxpayers and taxpayers alike must file a 2020 tax to claim their missing stimulus payments.
‘Get My Payment’ Link Details
The IRS reports the page will be updated once a day — usually overnight. Taxpayers are told not to call the IRS directly as their phone “assistors” do not have information beyond what is available on the agency’s website.
To access the information, taxpayers must first verify their identity by answering security questions.
There are several types of status messages a person could see:
- Payment Status: Here, taxpayers will be told if the stimulus payment has been processed, the date it is available. Also noted here, if the EIP3 will be issued by direct deposit or by mail — either EIP Card or a check.
- Payment Status Alternate Message: “You’re eligible, but a payment has not been processed, and a payment date is not yet available.” This message will not display the amount of the 2021 stimulus payment.
- Payment Status Not Available: Either the EIP3 was not processed, or the taxpayer is not eligible for a 2021 stimulus payment under the Rescue America Plan Act.
- Need More Information: The taxpayer’s payment was returned to the IRS by the postal service as the stimulus check or debit card was marked undeliverable. Only people receiving this message can use the tool to provide the IRS with their bank account information.
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- To have the payment reissued, taxpayers should provide one of three things: routing and account number for a bank account, a reloadable prepaid debit card, or alternative financial products with a routing and account number associated with them.
- If the taxpayer does not provide account information, the IRS cannot reissue the payment until their address is updated.
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Users will receive an error message when attempting to access their stimulus payment status if they do not verify their personal information correctly. Double-check what the “Get My Payment” is requesting and make certain the data is input correctly. If the information is input incorrectly three times the user will be locked out for 24 hours for security reasons — do not call as the phone “assistors” cannot unlock the account.
One common error is the taxpayer’s address due to the way the address is written — it could be how the address is written. The IRS says users should try writing it differently; for example, 123 N Main St instead of 123 North Main St. To verify the correct way government agencies record addresses, use this link U.S. Postal Service’s Zip Lookup.
Answers to other frequently asked questions are available on the IRS “Get My Payment” stimulus portal.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
IRS: Get My Payment
IRS: Get My Payment Frequently Asked Questions
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Inset Image Courtesy of Bart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License