IRS stimulus check delivery: Timeline update, who’s left out, what could still go wrong

This is the second week the IRS and Treasury are sending stimulus checks of up to $1,400 to tens of millions of people across the US. But while an estimated 17 million more direct deposit and 20 million paper checks and EIP debit cards will be sent, there’s still one group still waiting for the IRS to make its play: people who receive Social Security and other federal benefits, including SSDI and SSI recipients, veterans and retired railroad workers. The IRS says it’s working with the Social Security Administration and Railroad Retirement Board to get data and the SSA promises a Q&A page “soon,” though a group of Democratic lawmakers is demanding answers. 

Even if you’re not in these groups, your journey to a stimulus check could be delayed or even fractured. If you don’t get your payment through direct deposit by March 24 (that’s Wednesday), it means you’re getting it in the mail, the Treasury said Monday.  It could take days or weeks for checks to fully make it through the USPS, which is currently experiencing delays, according to The New York Times. And for some, it could take months to receive a full stimulus check allowance, especially if the IRS uses your 2019 taxes to calculate your stimulus total, but owes you more money based on your 2020 taxes. What then? (Here’s how to track your payment with the IRS and US Postal Service.) 

It’s also possible you may not qualify for the new round of stimulus checks, or that you are eligible for a full or partial stimulus payment, but you’re in a distinct group with different details or rules to know. For example, older adults, parents in a child-support situation, income tax nonfilers, mixed-status citizenship family members and people who live in US territories could potentially face complications. And what happens if you have a problem with your stimulus check? We’ll go over scenarios below. While you’re here, this is the story so far on a fourth stimulus check. This story updated with new information.

Stimulus check delivery timeline update

On Monday, the Treasury announced a new wave of payments for all three payment groups, which total an estimated 37 million payments, The Washington Post reported. That’s on top of the roughly 90 million payments already sent, the majority through direct deposit. Twenty million more electronic transfers are expected by March 24, with 17 million anticipated to go out in the mail.

“Taxpayers who do not receive a direct deposit by March 24 should watch the mail carefully in the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card, known as an Economic Impact Payment Card, or EIP Card,” the Treasury said in a press release.

With mail delays on the horizon, it isn’t clear how long it will take from the time the IRS or Treasury sends your payment to the date it’s received. But it could take days or in some cases weeks. Other additional complications could also hold up your payment. If you moved recently, tell the IRS and USPS.

Stimulus check delivery dates

Stimulus bill passed Congress	March 10
Stimulus bill signed into law	March 11
First direct deposit sent	March 12 (provisional), March 17 (official)
First paper checks sent	Week of March 15
First EIP cards sent	Week of March 22
Last day to get direct deposit	March 24
SSI and SSDI checks sent	Not yet announced
IRS deadline to finish sending checks	Dec. 31, 2021 (mandated by the bill)
Last date to receive a check	January 2022 (if mailed checks sent late December)
Claims for missing stimulus money open	2021 tax season likely (in 2022)

Yes, you can absolutely track your stimulus check status

The IRS updates its Get My Payment tracker tool for stimulus checks daily. This online app shows you the status of your payment, including when a check is scheduled for delivery. The IRS portal can also flag if there’s a problem with your payment that you may need to address, but it doesn’t tell you the amount you’ll receive. You can use a free tool from the USPS to track your mailed stimulus payment.

What could hold up or disrupt your stimulus payment

What if there’s a problem with your check?

Sorry, but the IRS really doesn’t want you to call if you have any issue with the delivery or amount of your stimulus check. So what should you do instead? We have a guide that walks you through how to report stimulus check problems, including checks that never arrive (try filing a payment trace), direct deposit payments that go to the wrong account and more. 

Why the IRS using your 2019 tax return could delay your full payment

Taxes are now due May 17. So how will the IRS figure out how much it owes you? It will calculate your total (you can also do that here) based on the most recent tax filing it’s processed at the time it’s ready to tabulate your check.

If you filed your 2020 taxes early and you know your tax return was already processed, your total will likely be based on your 2020 adjusted gross income, not on your 2019 AGI. That presents complications if the difference between the two years disqualifies you from getting a third stimulus check. 

On the flipside, if the IRS uses your 2019 taxes and you’re owed more money based on your 2020 AGI and dependents, you’ll need to claim the difference at a later date. (Learn more about some of the stimulus check exceptions and catches here.)

If the IRS owes you missing money, you’ll have to claim it later

There are several reasons the IRS may owe you stimulus money after it sends out the third round of checks. Maybe the agency processed your 2019 tax return instead of 2020 and there was a discrepancy. Or maybe you had a baby in 2020 that you still need to claim as a dependent. Maybe a clerical error accidentally left out a new dependent. Perhaps your payment never arrived or was accidentally garnished. 

Whatever the reason, the IRS may provide a way to file for missing stimulus money before the Dec. 31 deadline. If not, you might have to wait a year to claim it, when you file your 2021 taxes in 2022 (even if you’re a nonfiler who isn’t typically required to file taxes).

The IRS can keep sending stimulus checks through December

Although the IRS and Treasury are sending stimulus checks now, the agencies have until Dec. 31, 2021, to complete distributing the third payments. That’s good news in the sense they aren’t facing a compressed deadline to send out all the checks, as they did with the second stimulus check in December, which only provided them a 17-day window to get the payments out. On the other hand, the nearly nine-month total delivery window also means some people may find themselves waiting, for a variety of reasons. We’ll have to wait and see how the IRS deals with any fringe issues that arise. 

More stimulus check guides for these groups

Stimulus checks aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all situation. Here are additional guides for:

And here’s everything you need to know about the third stimulus check, how to calculate your stimulus total and every way the stimulus bill can bring you more money.

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