January 05, 2021
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The second round of COVID-19 relief stimulus checks have made their way to some Americans bank accounts. Find out when you get yours through the Get My Payment tool on the IRS website.
If you haven't yet received your stimulus check, no need to worry: you can track your check on the IRS website.
The IRS announced yesterday it relaunched its Get My Payment tool, where users can track where their check is — or see if they're getting one at all.
All you need to access the portal is your social security number, date of birth and the street address and zip code from your previous tax filings.
The Get My Payment tool will show you if you've received both the first and second stimulus payment, and how those payments were received. It will also tell you if you are not eligible for the payment.
Payments are still being processed and distributed, so users should check their status before losing hope, according to the IRS. If payment isn't received before 2020 tax filings, the IRS said to claim it as a return.
The IRS and Treasury Department started issuing its second round of stimulus checks last week after Congress passed a $908 billion economic relief package that granted qualifying Americans as much as $600.
These checks are half as much as the checks from the first relief package that passed in March 2020. The newest package also includes supplemental unemployment benefits that will pay $300 each week for 11 weeks.
Those eligible should receive their checks through direct deposit payments, mailed debit cards or paper checks, which may take up to several days.
"Some Americans may have seen the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the scheduled payment date of January 4, 2021, which is the official date funds are available," according to the IRS website.
Paper checks and debit cards will continue to be sent out through January. For people living outside the US, mailing time will take longer, and the IRS said to be sure to check your mail regularly.
The website is updated each night, so there is no need to check more than once each day, the website said. The IRS also said that no additional action is needed to receive the checks. It will use the address and bank information taxpayers used in their spring taxes for distribution of the payments.
To be eligible for the check, you must be a U.S. citizen and not be claimed as a dependent on someone else's income tax return. Individuals will receive up to $600 while married couples will get up to $1,200 and $600 for each qualifying child.
That amount is reduced if you make more than $75,000 annually or if a couple made more than $150,000 annually.
If the payment is not received by April of 2021 or is less than expected, the IRS said to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 tax return. There are online calculators that can help give an idea of how much money you could receive.
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