Track your third stimulus check now: How to get your status, what the tool won’t say

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The IRS is sending the third stimulus checks, and you can get an update on your payment. Here’s the first step if you want to track its status.


Sarah Tew/CNET

You can officially track the status of your third stimulus check. While some people have already received the $1,400 payments by direct deposit, the IRS tracker tool is a good way for eligible people to see the status of their $1,400 check (calculate your total), including any issues that need to be addressed. At times, the IRS tracking app can be tricky, but we’ll help explain what your status means.

At this point, we’re only in the first wave of the third stimulus check delivery, which may actually last until Dec. 31, 2021. That’s the final payment cutoff date supplied in the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. So far, the IRS is moving at an accelerated rate. Over the coming weeks, the agency is gearing up to send more payments through direct deposit and by mail as paper checks and EIP debit cards. And President Joe Biden said he expects 100 million payments to go out in the next 10 days.

However, there could still be issues that arise, and if they do, the tracker tool will be the IRS’ main way of communicating your payment schedule and status with you. The tool will no longer show you the status of your first two stimulus payments, however. Here’s everything you need to know. This story was recently updated.

Officially live: What to know about the IRS Get My Payment tracker tool

On the heels of the first payments arriving in bank accounts, the IRS turns on its tracking tool, called Get My Payment, so individuals and families can learn the status of their check. The IRS said it will update payment-status information once a day, usually overnight, and notes that IRS phone assisters won’t have information beyond what is available in the tracker.

To get the status of the third check, enter your Social Security number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code. Then the tool will display a message with information about your check — whether the payment was sent, the payment method (direct deposit or physical mail) and the date it was issued. The tool will not show the amount of your payment. However, it will let you know if the service can’t yet determine your status — more below on error messages.


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Stimulus check 3: How much money you’ll get



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Can I sign up for direct deposit using the Get My Payment tool?

Now that the IRS is sending the third stimulus check, you’ll likely get it fastest if you have a direct deposit account already set up with the federal government. Some are reporting the IRS used the banking information they supplied on their taxes this year for the new stimulus payment.

With the first check, the online tool let you enter your banking information to receive your payment straight to your bank account, if the IRS didn’t have your banking information. The IRS didn’t let people register new direct deposit accounts or change their banking information for the second stimulus check, and the updated Get My Payment tool for the third stimulus payment doesn’t appear to allow you to add your banking information as the method the IRS will use to make your payment.

The IRS’ press release reads: “Those without current direct deposit information on file will receive the payment as a check or debit card in the mail.” The IRS hasn’t responded to a request to confirm that you can’t newly register for direct deposit with the third payment.

However, the IRS FAQ for Get My Payment says you can provide banking information if the IRS is unable to deliver your payment. We reached out to the IRS to clarify how it is handling new direct deposit information.

With the third checks now going out, you might still have time to receive your payment through direct deposit if you add your banking information on your 2020 taxes. If you want to want try, you’ll need to act fast. You can register for a new direct deposit account (in fact, up to three) as part of filing your 2020 tax return. If the IRS receives your banking information before it processes your third payment, it could use that information to send your money. However, The Washington Post reports delays with the IRS in processing returns.

What does the ‘Need More Information’ status mean?

According to the IRS FAQ for the 2021 payment, a “Need More Information” message in the Get My Payment tool means your payment was returned because the US Postal Service was unable to deliver it.

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

We’ve reached out to the IRS for clarification on how the agency is handling updates to direct deposit payments.

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The IRS and US Treasury are sending the third round of stimulus payments.


Sarah Tew/CNET

What should I do if I 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 don’t have to do anything.

However, it could also mean you are not eligible for a payment, according the IRS, so you may want to double-check your eligibility and plug in your numbers in our stimulus check calculator to see if you are due money.

If Get My Payment says the IRS sent me a stimulus check, but I never get it, what should I do?

If the IRS’ online tool said the agency has issued your stimulus money, but you have no record of it in the mail or in your bank account, and it never arrived in your mailbox, you may need to file a stimulus check payment trace. It’s handy if you also have the letter the IRS may have sent you.

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If your money is tied up in any way, the IRS Get My Payment tracking tool indicate a problem.


Sarah Tew/CNET

Do I have to keep the IRS letter confirming my third stimulus payment? What if I don’t?

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 your check. The letter is helpful 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.

How can I track my stimulus check that’s been mailed?

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. Called Informed Delivery, the mail-tracking service automatically scans your letters and can alert you 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.

What if I never got all my money from the first or second stimulus payments?

The IRS is no longer automatically sending out the first and second payments. If you believe you are still owed money from either of those rounds, your best chance of claiming that missing first or second payment is to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of tax season 2020. 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 will not give you information on the first and second checks. Instead you need to set up and check your IRS account for information on those two payment.

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source: cnet.com