How do i check my stimulus payment

You can now find out when your next stimulus payment is expected to hit your bank account or get mailed.

The IRS updated the "Get My Payment" tool on its website with information on the third round of stimulus checks Saturday, agency spokesperson Karen Connelly confirmed to USA TODAY. Check for your status at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

The agency had said Friday the tool was expected to be available on Monday.

The third round of Economic Impact Payments will be based on a taxpayer’s latest processed tax return from either 2020 or 2019. That includes anyone who used the IRS non-filers tool last year, or submitted a special simplified tax return.

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Many are expected to get their payments deposited into bank accounts Wednesday, which is St. Patrick's Day.

For those who received the first two stimulus checks but didn’t receive a payment via direct deposit, they will receive a check or a prepaid debit card.

Social Security and other federal beneficiaries will generally receive this third payment the same way as their regular benefits, the IRS said. A payment date for this group is expected to be announced soon. 

The payments would amount to $1,400 for a single person or $2,800 for a married couple filing jointly, plus an additional $1,400 for each dependent child. Individuals earning up to $75,000 would get the full payments, as would married couples with incomes up to $150,000. Payments would decline for incomes above those thresholds, phasing out above $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples. 

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How to use IRS 'Get My Payment'

The IRS also updated frequently asked questions Saturday on how to use the "Get My Payment" tool, which requires users to enter their full Social Security number or tax ID number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code.

But before you start entering your information hourly, the IRS says the tool “updates once per day, usually overnight” and that people should “not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don't have information beyond what's available on IRS.gov.”

The tool will show the status of when a payment has been issued and the payment date for direct deposit or mail, according to the frequently asked questions. Some will get a message that says "Payment Status Not Available."

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You may see a 'Payment Status Not Available' message

Don't be alarmed if the Get My Payment tool gives you a message that says "Payment Status Not Available." You may see this message until your payment is processed, according to the IRS. So you may not have to do anything.

But it could also mean you're not eligible for a payment. So you may want to double-check your eligibility and plug your numbers in our stimulus check calculator to see whether you're due money.

You may see a 'Need More Information' message

According to the IRS FAQ, a Need More Information message in the Get My Payment tool means your payment was returned because the US Postal Service wasn't able to deliver it.

The FAQ says you'll be able to have your payment reissued as a direct deposit by providing a bank routing and account number, a prepaid debit card (the card must be reloadable) or a financial service account that has a routing and account number associated with it. The FAQ says you can also update your mailing address to receive your payment.

The IRS tool might say your payment was sent to you

If the IRS' online tool says the agency has issued your stimulus money, but you have no record of it in your bank account and it never arrived in your mailbox, you may need to take one of these steps, including possibly filing a stimulus check payment trace. You'll need to have the letter the IRS sent you. 

USPS is a good way to track your paper check

If your third stimulus check is going out in the mail, the US Postal Service has a free app that can notify you when it's about to deliver your stimulus money from the IRS. Informed Delivery is a mail-tracking service that automatically scans your letters and alerts you to when they'll be delivered. Here's more on how to set up and use the letter-tracking service from the USPS to keep tabs on your payment.

Don't lose the IRS letter that confirms your stimulus payment 

If the IRS issues you a stimulus check, it sends a notice by mail to your last known address within 15 days after making the payment to confirm delivery. The letter contains information on when and how the payment was made and how to report it to the IRS if you didn't receive all the money you're entitled to. You'll need to reference this information if you don't receive your full payment and need to claim your money later. Here's how to recover the information if you lost or tossed the letter.

If the first two stimulus payments never showed up, do this

The IRS is no longer automatically sending out the first and second payments that were approved in 2020. If you believe you're still owed money from either of those payment rounds, your best chance of claiming those funds is to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of the 2020 tax season. 

If you're eligible, you'll need to know the amount of money the IRS allotted you, which you can find out online or from the letter the agency mailed. The IRS said the updated Get My Payment tracker won't give you information on the first and second checks. Instead, you need to set up and check your IRS account for information on those payments.

What to know about adding your direct deposit details

You can't use the Get My Payment tool to sign up for a new account or correct details about your payment. Even if the IRS is unable to deliver your payment to a bank account and the money is returned to the government, you won't be able to correct the details online -- the IRS says it will send the money again by mail.