Where’s my rescue package relief check?
Some answers if there’s a foul-up
The US government has distributed about 130 million economic impact payments to taxpayers in less than 30 days. The IRS anticipates sending more than 150 million payments as part of a massive coronavirus rescue package.
The distribution has had some hiccups, including an overwhelmed website.
Where is my payment?
The government can't logistically or physically make all the payments at once, so it's doing so in steps.
For those with direct deposit information on file with the IRS, based 2019 or 2018 tax return, payments began going out on April 10.
Payments started going out last week to Social Security beneficiaries, railroad retirees and veterans who aren't required to file a tax return; these will continue through May. Individuals in this group will get their relief by the same method they receive their other benefits, be that direct deposit or mail.
Others who are not required to file tax returns, such as low-income individuals, were encouraged to file basic information on the IRS website. Without this information, the government cannot issue a payment.
All payments were prioritized in order from lowest income to highest income.
If you qualify, make sure the IRS has the current and necessary information. The IRS has a Get My Payment tool on its website for people to add their direct deposit information or track the status of their payment.
I didn’t get a payment for my child. Why?
Parents can also get a payment of $500 for each child, but the money only applies to eligible children, generally those 16 and under.
You might not get the payment if someone else can claim them as a dependent or if they're not reflected on your most recent tax return, such as a newborn child.
People who receive Supplemental Security Income or Department of Veterans Affairs benefits also don't automatically get payments for dependents.
They must add that information on the IRS website by Tuesday to get payment.
If you did not receive the full amount to which you believe you're entitled, for a child or otherwise, you'll be able to claim the additional amount on your 2020 tax return.
I don’t use (or don’t recognize) the bank account my payment went to. What now?
If the account is closed or no longer active, the bank will reject the deposit and mail a check instead. It will go either to the address listed on your tax returns or the one on file with the U.S. Postal Service, whichever is most current.
This is a common problem for people who got a refund anticipation loan, refund anticipation check or had their refund loaded onto a prepaid debit card. In these cases, the relief payment may have been directed to the real or virtual account associated with the product.
But again, if the account is closed or inactive, it will be rejected and a check will be mailed.
The IRS has corrected an earlier online error, which told users that some rejected payments were being sent to the same account a second time; they are not and will be mailed.
What if I have issues with my payment?
The IRS will send a letter to taxpayers about 15 days after a payment is sent letting them know how it was made and how to report issues.
It also has many answers online and is updating its site regularly.
If you still need a real person, you'll have to wait. The IRS had been unable to staff its telephone lines because of the pandemic.
Employees only began to return to the agency last week and it's unclear when many services will be back up.