Want your stimulus check faster? There are some things you can do now

Now that we’ve been through two rounds of stimulus checks, we’ve learned a lot, including how your taxes impact your stimulus payment, who the payments go out to first (and last), and what to do if your payment never arrives. If you’re getting ready to claim missing money from the first or second stimulus check on your taxes as a Recovery Rebate Credit, or if you’re just looking ahead to a potential third stimulus check that is expected to come no later than March, we’ve got some tips on how to resolve common issues that caused delays for millions of people — including changes in addresses or bank accounts. 

If you address some of these potential roadblocks now, it could potentially bring you your tax refund with your stimulus rebate earlier — or get you your third stimulus check quicker, if and when Congress passes a new bill. 

Here are some things to get in order so that your stimulus rebate or potential future payment come through faster. We’ve also got more information on how to claim missing stimulus money if you don’t usually file taxes, and how much money you could possibly get in a third stimulus check later this year.

File your taxes early if you’re going to claim missing stimulus money

If you’re one of the millions of people who didn’t receive the stimulus money you were eligible for in the first or second round of payments, you can claim that money on your 2020 federal tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit (estimate how much you might be owed by using CNET’s stimulus check calculators for the second and first payments). The IRS said it will start processing returns on Feb. 12, and estimates that the first refunds will be sent out via direct deposit the first week of March. The deadline to file your federal income tax will be April 15.

We recommend filing your taxes as early as you can, and setting up direct deposit with the IRS when you do (more on that below). Not only will doing both of these things help you get your tax refund with that missing stimulus money faster, but it will also make you more likely to receive your third stimulus check sooner, especially if it gets passed during tax season. 

Set up direct deposit when you file your taxes 

Setting up a direct deposit account that links directly to your bank account when you file your 2020 tax return will benefit you in two ways. For one, you’ll get your tax return (with your Recovery Rebate Credit for your missing stimulus money added in) faster. The IRS said the best and quickest way to get your tax refund is to have it electronically deposited for free into your bank account. You can set up up to three different bank accounts if you’d like to split your tax refund between them. 

If you set up a direct deposit and file your return electronically with tax software like TurboTax, you can also expect a faster return than if you printed your return out and mailed it in. The IRS said it expects nine out of 10 taxpayers to receive their refund within 21 days of when they file electronically with direct deposit, if there are no issues with their tax return.

Including your direct deposit information on your tax return has another benefit: If and when a third stimulus check is approved, people with direct deposit set up through the IRS are typically among the first in line to get their money, as opposed to those who are mailed a check or an EIP card. Here’s how much stimulus money you could get with a $1,400 check.

Make sure the IRS has your current address 

If you moved to a new address after filing your 2019 tax return (or any time during the coronavirus pandemic), you need to do two things to make sure your stimulus check and other important information about the payment can reach you: Tell the USPS and IRS where you went. 

You need to do this even if your new location is temporary — you can always update your details if you move again. Even if your first or second check came through direct deposit (which means a potential third check likely would, too), you still want to make sure your address is updated so that you receive the IRS’ letter verifying when it sent your payment. If the letter arrives, but your funds do not, you’d know you have an issue to resolve, likely by requesting an IRS payment trace. (If you lose the letter, here’s how to get the information it contains.)

Here’s how to change your address with USPS and IRS.

Confirm that your banking details are up to date

If your banking status changes, or if you closed the bank account the IRS has on file for you, it could hold up receipt of your stimulus payment — possibly returning it before it ever reaches you. 

The IRS said it has a number of ways to find your banking information, including from your 2019 tax return (and likely your 2020 return when you submit it), from the IRS’ Get My Payment app or Non-Filer tool if you used it last year, or from another federal agency that uses your banking details to issue benefits, such as the Social Security Administration (like if you receive SSDI or SSI benefits). But if that information is out of date, the bank will return that payment to the government, leading you to have to file for a Recovery Rebate Credit to get that money back with your tax refund. 

If you don’t have a bank account, would like one and aren’t sure where to get started, several large banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, now offer more affordable checkless bank accounts as part of a government-backed effort to help people enter the banking system. 

Make sure you’re actually eligible for a stimulus check

Not everyone qualified for a second stimulus check, as some of the eligibility rules changed after the first round. It’s possible that the rules will change again if a third check is approved. 

Here’s who qualified for the second round, based on your total income on your 2018 or 2019 taxes:

• If you’re a single filer and earn less than $87,000
• If you file as the head of a household and earn under $124,500
• If you file jointly with your spouse and earn less than $174,000

However, there were a lot of exceptions and rules depending on your situation, and the same will likely be true of a future third check (you can find a more detailed list of stimulus check qualifications here). 

Will my third stimulus check go toward my debts?

For the most part, your stimulus money is yours to use as you please. But there are certain exceptions. 

Under the CARES Act (that’s the first stimulus check), if you owed more than $150 in overdue child support (called arrears), your state may have reserved the right to garnish some or all of your first stimulus check, based on how much you owed. However, the second stimulus check could not be taken for overdue child support. This change was widely understood across federal and state agencies. Find out more about how child support impacts stimulus checks here. 

With the first stimulus check, private banks and creditors were able to seize a payment to cover an outstanding debt. However, some states, such as California, issued orders forbidding banks and creditors from garnishing your stimulus check. With the second stimulus check, your payment was protected from bank garnishment and from private creditors and debt collectors, according to the text of the law. However, individual banks could choose to take that money to cover overdraft fees. Again, we don’t yet know if this would change with a third check. 

For more, find out what your stimulus check could look like if you receive SSI or SSDI, if you have dependents, if you’re a young adult or if you’re over age 65 or retired.