USA TODAY International Edition
IRS: All stimulus payments have been distributed
WASHINGTON – Some good news from the Internal Revenue Service: All stimulus checks approved last year have been distributed. But in some cases, the check may still be in the mail.
The IRS announced this week that the federal government has distributed all stimulus checks it is legally permitted to issue under two laws passed last year by Congress and signed by former President Donald Trump to provide a cash infusion for Americans recovering from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The first round of stimulus checks of up to $ 1,200 started going out last April. More than 160 million payments totaling $ 270 billion were sent to taxpayers during that round.
In the second installment, which included checks of up to $ 600 per person, the IRS delivered more than 147 million direct payments totaling more than $ 142 billion.
The IRS was required under law to issue the second round of payments by Jan. 15. The agency said all payments have been delivered based on the infor
mation it has on file for those who are eligible, but it stressed that some checks may still be in the mail. Some 13 million checks were mistakenly sent to bank accounts or addresses that are no longer valid and had to be redirected.
Those who still haven’t gotten their check – or didn’t get the full amount – can claim the payments as a rebate when they file their taxes this year.
The Recovery Rebate Credit can be found on line 30 of 2020 tax Form 1040 or 1040- SR. To claim the credit, you’ll need to know how much of the payment you received or were supposed to get. Individuals can view the amounts of their first and second payments by logging onto their IRS online account.
To avoid delays, the IRS urges people to file a tax return electronically. Anyone who earns $ 72,000 or less can file their tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program.
A third round of stimulus checks could soon be on the way.
President Joe Biden is calling for $ 1,400 checks to be distributed as part of a $ 1.9 trillion COVID- relief package he is asking Congress to pass. Democratic leaders say they expect the bill to be approved by mid- March.