If you already got your stimulus check, will you get a plus-up payment, too?
Sarah Tew/CNET
The IRS continues to send billions of dollars in stimulus check payments (see the full delivery chart below), including about 700,000 “plus-up” payments each week for the last two weeks. This stimulus payment batch also includes Social Security recipients and SSI beneficiaries, and eligible people who took the extra step to provide some information the IRS needed to send the payment (this group may include nonfilers).
The takeaway for you is that stimulus money is still coming, and could be for months, especially with these supplemental plus-up payments that the IRS owes based on calculated your stimulus share using “old” information, rather than your 2020 tax return. With the new May 17 Tax Day deadline, more plus-up payments will arrive, extending stimulus check delivery by weeks and possibly months — even if you already received most of your payment (this is how to track your stimulus check with the IRS).
Read on for everything you need to know, including how to report a problem and when you should file a payment trace. For more money matters, here’s what to know about the child tax credit for up to $3,600 and find if your state owes you more money and how Biden’s future stimulus bill could bring you more. Also, see how you could get up to $50,000 back with one-time benefits this year. Here’s the latest on student loan debt forgiveness and a fourth stimulus check. This story was recently updated.
Stimulus plus-up payments keep on coming
The IRS sent roughly $1.2 billion this past week to people who already got stimulus checks — and that’s a good thing. These stimulus check plus-up payments are the IRS’ way of reconciling differences in how much stimulus money you’re entitled to receive based on your 2019 versus 2020 taxes (or other factors if you don’t usually file).
There may be a number of reasons you qualify for a plus-up payment, but the bottom line is that if you’re not paying close attention, you may not realize you should expect the supplement. That’s why we strongly suggest you know how much money you should expect this stimulus round, track your payment and hold onto the relevant IRS letter. We don’t want you leaving money on the table if you’re owed a plus-up payment that for whatever reason never arrives.
Watch this:
Stimulus plus-up payments: What you need to know
2:58
This is important, too: Plus-up payments are being delivered on a weekly basis, but only for this third check. A plus-up does not cover any money missing from the first two stimulus checks. We suggest making sure you also know where to find your adjusted gross income. Tax nonfilers may need to be proactive about claiming a new dependent.
If your stimulus payment arrived by direct deposit, that’s how you should expect to receive your plus-up money, too. If the IRS doesn’t have your details on file, you may get a paper check instead (here’s how you’ll track it in the mail).
Stimulus check payments made to date
| 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 disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Second payment batch — March 24 | 17 million ($38 billion) | 15 million ($34 billion) | 5 million ($11 billion) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Third payment batch, including Social Security — April 3 | 2 million ($5 billion) | 2 million ($5 billion) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Fourth payment batch, including first plus-up payment — 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 | 1.2 million ($2 billion) | 800,000 ($1.4 billion) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 700,000 ($1.2 billion) |
| Sixth payment batch — April 21 | 900,000 ($1.5 billion) | 1.1 million ($1.8 billion) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 700,000 ($1.2 billion) |
Did you get a smaller stimulus check than you expected?
The IRS isn’t particularly big on communicating how much money it calculates for your stimulus check. You won’t find that figure in the agency’s online tracking tool, but you will see it in the confirmation letter you’ll receive in the mail. (And here’s why you got the payment size you did.)
So what happens if you use our stimulus check calculator and notice the numbers seem way off, or the IRS letter quotes an amount you didn’t receive? Start by triple-checking your qualifications to make sure you’re eligible for the total you expect. Remember the IRS is automatically sending plus-up payments and that happens after the agency receives your 2020 tax return. If you had a baby or added a dependent in 2020, you won’t need to file an amended tax form to claim the supplement.
The IRS could open up claims for missing stimulus money before its Dec. 31 deadline to stop sending checks. 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).
Watch this:
Stimulus check 3: How much money you’ll get
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IRS stimulus payment schedule from now until December
While the IRS and Treasury say they’ve sent the bulk of stimulus check payments (at least the initial sums), the text of the March stimulus law gives these agencies until Dec. 31, 2021, to send all the third checks. That buys time to finish processing 2020 taxes, including for people who are owed plus-up payments, folks who file a 2020 tax extension and other groups, like those who moved or don’t have a fixed address (such as people experiencing homelessness).
If all or part of your stimulus check doesn’t arrive by then, you’ll need to claim your missing money via a 2021 tax return in April 2022, a year from now. This would be similar to the Recovery Rebate Credit for claiming missing money from the first two checks, which is currently in effect for 2020 taxes.
Should you keep tracking your stimulus payment?
Knowing the status of your payment is an important part of making sure you know where your full payment stands. Keep an eye out in the Get My Payment tracker tool for plus-up payments or other information about your payment. The details are updated once a day and the tool can flag if there’s a problem with your payment that you may need to address by giving you a message.
You can also use a free tool from the USPS to track your mailed stimulus payment.
Why all or part of your stimulus money hasn’t arrived
Also, here’s what to know if the IRS sent a letter confirming it sent your stimulus payment, but the money never arrived. Here’s more information on problems you might encounter with your stimulus check.
Stimulus check delivery start and end dates
| First direct deposits made | March 17 (official) |
|---|---|
| First paper checks sent | Week of March 15 |
| First EIP cards sent | Week of March 22 |
| 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 | Week of 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) |
Have a stimulus check problem? Start here
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.
Why your 2020 taxes could make a big difference in your payment total
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 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 could get a plus-up payment. If you got more money than you’re owed, you’ll only need to return it to the IRS in some cases.
Millions may wind up getting a smaller check than they’re owed, depending on their 2020 taxes.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Stimulus check details for veterans, and SSI and SSDI recipients
Veterans receiving VA benefits and people who get SSDI and SSI benefits began receiving stimulus checks from the IRS and Treasury. Delivery details should now be available in the Get My Payment tool.
You might get your stimulus money by direct deposit to existing Direct Express cards if this is how you normally receive benefits, and if you didn’t file taxes in 2019 or 2020. Otherwise, the money could come in the mail (here’s what to look for so you know it’s legit). The SSA says that Social Security beneficiaries like SSI and SSDI groups will not receive an EIP debit card.
If you’re a tax nonfiler and you used the IRS’ Non-Filers tool by November 2020 to submit information, you may have already received your check before other Social Security recipients.
If you don’t get all your stimulus check money right away, you may need to address the issue down the road.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Additional rules and exceptions to know
Stimulus checks aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all situation. Here are 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 law can bring you more money.