IRS sending $600 stimulus checks for 8 more days. Here’s when yours could come

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For many, receiving a second stimulus check before Jan. 15 will be a race against the clock.


Sarah Tew/CNET

Amid the tumult in the nation’s capital on Wednesday and intensifying questions about the final two weeks of Donald Trump’s US presidency, the IRS and Treasury Department have eight more days to send all the $600 stimulus payments they can. That’s when they hit a Jan. 15 deadline to stop making stimulus payments through direct depositpaper checks and EIP cards. (Use this stimulus calculator to estimate your total.) 

While the IRS has reportedly sent two-thirds of the stimulus checks electronically, there have been some reported problems, and millions of payments are expected to also come by mail. If you’re eligible for the $600 second check, that means there’s just over a week left for your second stimulus check to arrive. What then? You can start by tracking your stimulus check status and following your paper stimulus check or EIP card to your mailbox.

We’ll explain more below about the IRS deadline, direct deposit and what you have to do if you don’t receive your second stimulus check soon after Jan. 15. Here’s more information about the IRS’ formula for your stimulus total, and a possible third stimulus check now that Democrats control the Senate. This story was recently updated.

What happens to second stimulus checks after Jan. 15?

The new $900 billion stimulus legislation sets Jan. 15 as the cutoff date to send stimulus payments. If you don’t receive your full second stimulus check money by then, you will need to claim all or part of the missing amount when you file your federal tax returns in this year as a Recovery Rebate Credit. You’ll also be able to claim any money the IRS still owes you from the first round of checks as a credit.

Some people who received their stimulus payment through direct deposit have run into a problem. If you experience any issue or holdup with any of the three payment methods, it means you’ll have to wait until you file a claim — and take the extra step to do so.

Tying the delivery of a second stimulus check to the 2020 tax return will almost certainly delay the payment for many people, since a wide variance in circumstances will cause some to file taxes as early as January and others as late as April 15, or even later if they need to request an extension. It also isn’t clear how quickly the IRS would process payments as a Recovery Rebate Credit.


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Direct deposit transfers will carry on this week

The IRS sent the first direct deposit payments on Dec. 29, saying that the payments will continue through the week. It isn’t clear if the IRS and Treasury will finish processing bank account transfers by then — at least the first round. People who have run into issues with direct deposit won’t be able to address them until tax season 2020.

While eligible individuals don’t need to do anything to receive the second payment — providing the IRS already has your banking or mailing information on file — you also can’t do much to influence getting a direct deposit over a mailed check. For example, you can’t register a new direct deposit account with the IRS or correct any banking information you have on file if you closed an account. If the IRS can’t deliver your payment, you’ll need to claim on your taxes.

EIP cards and paper stimulus checks: In transit, but will some miss the deadline?

If the IRS doesn’t have your current direct deposit information on file, it will send the payment as a check or EIP debit card in the mail — they began going out Dec. 30. It isn’t clear if the IRS has time to process all the tens of millions of payments before Jan. 15. The IRS was able to process between 5 and 7 million a week with the first stimulus check, according to a government report from June.

It may be that some payments won’t make the Jan. 15 deadline. Here’s how you can track your status with the IRS and track your second stimulus check to your mailbox, for free, to set your expectations and to help prevent you from accidentally throwing it away. If you’ve moved recently, tell the IRS and USPS.

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How you get your second stimulus check could also influence how soon your payment arrives.


Sarah Tew/CNET

You could get an EIP debit card this time

The IRS said that to speed delivery, it will send make some payments using an Economic Impact Payment prepaid debit card and notes that some people who received a paper check last time might receive a debit card this time, and some people who received a debit card last time may receive a paper check.

The IRS warns that those who are eligible but don’t receive a direct deposit should watch their mail for a check or EIP debit card. The debit cards will arrive in a white envelope that displays the US Department of the Treasury seal, the IRS said.

There are two ways to track your $600 stimulus check

The IRS has reopened its online Get My Payment tracking tool with information on the the second round of payments. With the free-to-use portal, those who qualify for a check can see the status of both the first and second payments. The website is available in English and Spanish. You can also use a free tool from the USPS to follow your check’s movements to your mailbox.

What’s the longest you could wait to get your new payment?

People who will receive their second stimulus check in the mail — either as a paper check or a prepaid debit card — should look for a payment anytime from now through Jan. 15. According to the Treasury, 22% of the payments as of last summer were made by paper checks and another 3% by prepaid debit cards

After Jan. 15, you will have to claim any money the IRS owes you with your tax filing in 2021. That could further delay your stimulus check, since the timing would depend on:

  • When you file your 2020 taxes — the deadline could be April 15, unless you file for an extension.
  • How long it takes the IRS to process your tax return, which may also include your second stimulus check.
  • If there are any complications that arise in your specific scenario that could further delay your check.

We’ll keep our eye on the situation, which is constantly evolving. Here’s how to calculate your estimated total now for a $600 per person maximum.

source: cnet.com