If the IRS hasn’t sent your stimulus check yet, this could be your week. A new batch of the $1,400 payments drops on Wednesday. While it’s focused in part on veterans who don’t file taxes, payments also continue to arrive in the mail. The IRS is also sending out weekly plus-up payments for people who didn’t get all the money they were owed. We’ll explain more below:
For additional information, many people who get stimulus checks could also qualify for a monthly child tax credit starting in July (see our child credit FAQ). Here’s the latest on student loan debt forgiveness, a fourth stimulus check and how to save money on health care. This story has been updated.
What are stimulus plus-up payments and when could yours arrive?
A plus-up payment is a supplement to the stimulus check the iRS already paid you. But if you didn’t get the right amount the first time, the agency is sending automatic pay bumps to correct the error. You might get a plus-up payment if the IRS used your 2019 taxes to calculate your third stimulus check and then finds it underpaid you after processing your 2020 taxes. For example, perhaps you had a lower AGI this time — or added a new dependent.
If you got your stimulus payment via direct deposit, that’s how you’ll get your plus-up money, too. If the IRS doesn’t have your details on file, you may receive a paper check instead.
Plus-up payments will continue on a weekly basis as the IRS processes 2020 tax forms and reevaluates checks. The batch going out this week includes 1 million plus-up payments totaling more than $2 million.
Stimulus check payments made so far
Direct deposit | Paper checks | EIP Card | Direct Express Card | Plus-up | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First payment batch — March 17 | 90 million ($242 billion) | 150,000 ($442 million) | Not released | Not released | Not released |
Second payment batch — March 24 | 17 million ($38 billion) | 15 million ($34 billion) | 5 million ($11 billion) | Not released | Not released |
Third payment batch, including Social Security — April 3 | 2 million ($5 billion) | 2 million ($5 billion) | Not disclosed | Up to 30 million to come | Not released |
Fourth payment batch, including “plus-up” money — April 7 | 24 million ($33 billion) | 1 million ($3 billion) | Not disclosed | 3.1 million | 1 million ($2 million) |
Fifth payment batch, including nonfiler veterans — April 14 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
The IRS is sending your stimulus money these ways
If you’re getting your new stimulus check delivered now (and not a plus-up), expect to receive it in the mail (how to track it) as a paper check or EIP debit card. However, if you’re an SSI or SSDI recipient who has a Direct Express benefits card, you should get an electronic transfer. Otherwise, look for a check in the mail, but not an EIP card, according to the SSA. (More details below.)
Note that it could take days between the date the IRS or Treasury processes your stimulus money and when you receive it, especially if your check is arriving through the mail. If you moved recently, you need to tell the IRS and USPS.
Use free tools to track your payment online
The IRS updates its Get My Payment tracker tool for stimulus checks daily. This online app shows the status of your payment, including when a check is scheduled for delivery. You can also use a free tool from the USPS to track your mailed stimulus payment.
The IRS portal also flags 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’ll see your payment status in the tracker if you receive SSI and SSDI benefits. VA beneficiaries who are veterans and don’t file taxes can check the status of their payments the weekend of April 10 and 11.
Is some or all of your stimulus check delayed? Here’s why
Here’s more information on problems you might encounter with your stimulus check.
Stimulus check delivery start and end dates
Stimulus bill signed into law | March 11 |
---|---|
First direct deposits made | 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, unless you receive a “plus-up” adjustment for 2020 taxes |
First Social Security, SSI, SSDI payment sent | Weekend of April 3, most arriving April 7 |
First plus-up payments | Weekend of April 3 |
VA benefits for veteran nonfilers | April 14 |
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) |
Final claims for missing stimulus money | 2021 tax season likely (in 2022) |
If you need to report a payment problem, here’s what to do
The IRS doesn’t want you to call if you have any issue with the delivery or amount of your stimulus check. So what to do instead? Our guide 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 other issues.
If you think you’re missing stimulus money from your $1,400 check…
There are several reasons the IRS may owe you stimulus money after it sends out the third round of checks.
For example, the agency may have processed your 2019 tax return before it received 2020 tax forms and you’re entitled to a bigger payment. If this is your situation, the IRS said it will automatically evaluate if you qualify for more money after it receives your 2020 tax return. It will then send you a supplemental payment for the difference between what you originally received and the amount you now qualify for. You don’t need to take any action to receive this supplemental payment, according to the IRS.
If you had a baby or added a dependent in 2020, the IRS said it will also automatically send you a supplement payment once it receives your taxes this year.
But what if a clerical error accidentally left out a new dependent? Or perhaps your payment never arrived or was accidentally garnished? 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).
Stimulus checks for social Security, SSDI, SSI and veterans
After a weeks-long holdup, the IRS is now making payments for SSDI and SSI recipients and retired railroad workers, many of whom automatically qualify for the third check. The first payments started going out April 3, with the majority of payments made electronically — either through direct deposit or to existing Direct Express cards (PDF) — by April 7, according to the IRS.
For those who receive veterans benefits, the IRS said it’s reviewing data for Veterans Affairs benefit recipients and expects to start making payments by April 14. VA beneficiary payment information will be available in the Get My Payment tool this weekend, the IRS said.
Note that you’ll most likely get the electronic payment transfer if this is how you normally receive benefits, and if you didn’t file taxes in 2019 or 2020. But some in this subset of nonfilers could receive an automatic payment sooner if they got a previous check by using the IRS’ Non-Filers tool, which is now closed. The SSA says this group will not receive an EIP debit card. Here’s our complete guide to stimulus checks for people receiving Social Security benefits.
How your 2020 tax return is tied to this stimulus check
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 the amount of your stimulus 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 flip side, 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. Note that if you filed your 2020 taxes after you got your stimulus payment, this IRS is now sending the catch-up payments now. (Learn more about some of the stimulus check exceptions and catches here.)
Did you know? Your stimulus deadline isn’t until December
Although the IRS and Treasury are sending stimulus checks now, the agencies have until Dec. 31 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 for the second stimulus check in December, which only gave them a 17-day window to get the payments out.
On the other hand, the nearly nine-month delivery window also means some people may find themselves waiting for their payment, for a variety of reasons. We’ll have to wait and see how the IRS deals with any fringe issues that arise, such as the need to claim missing money.
More stimulus check guides for these payment 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.