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No stimulus check yet? Use IRS ‘Get My Payment’ tool to find the status of new COVID relief payments
Stimulus check: When to expect your paymentYour stimulus check could hit your account this week.Staff video, USA TODAYIf St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t the lucky day you got your third stimulus check deposited, hope isn’t lost.As of Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service said it had sent out coronavirus relief checks to more than 90 million Americans under the initial round of payments made under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.More payments are on the way, and you can find out when your next stimulus payment is expected to hit your bank account or get mailed using the IRS “Get My Payment” tool. The IRS said Wednesday that more than 35 million people used the tool to get their 2021 stimulus payment status since it was updated Saturday.But before you start entering your information hourly, the IRS says the tool “updates once per day, usually overnight” and that people should “not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don’t have information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov.”Save better, spend better: Money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up hereThe third round of Economic Impact Payments will be based on a taxpayer’s latest processed tax return from either 2020 or 2019. That includes anyone who used the IRS non-filers tool last year, or submitted a special simplified tax return.For those who received the first two stimulus checks but didn’t receive a payment via direct deposit, they will receive a check or a prepaid debit card in the mail.Social Security and other federal beneficiaries will generally receive this third payment the same way as their regular benefits, the IRS said. A payment date for this group is expected to be announced soon.From stimulus checks to Tax Day 2021: Answers to your questions about IRS changes, COVID relief and moreEldorado, Barracuda, El Camino: Could these long-gone vehicles make a comeback? The payments would amount to $1,400 for a single person or $2,800 for a married couple filing jointly, plus an additional $1,400 for each dependent child. Individuals earning up to $75,000 would get the full payments, as would married couples with income up to $150,000. Payments would decline for incomes above those thresholds, phasing out above $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples. The IRS also has the “Where’s My Refund” tool and IRS2Go app for checking tax refund status. As the IRS sends the COVID relief payments, millions are facing tax refund delays. The IRS announced Wednesday that it has extended tax season another month with federal income taxes and payments due May 17.How to use IRS ‘Get My Payment’The “Get My Payment” tool is available at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. To use it, you’ll need to enter your full Social Security number or tax ID number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code.For those who are eligible, the tool will show a “Payment Status” of when the payment has been issued and the payment date for direct deposit or mail, according to the IRS’ frequently asked questions.Not everyone who is eligible will have a payment date under “Payment Status” when they log in initially, the IRS said. According to the agency, the tool will be updated when the payment date is known.Biden speech highlights: When are we getting the next stimulus check?Biden speech highlights: When are we getting the next stimulus check, COVID relief bill tax changes and more from Biden speech and American Rescue PlanStaff video, USA TODAY’Payment Status Not Available’ or ‘Need More Information’Some will get a message that says “Payment Status Not Available.””If you get this message, either we have not yet processed your payment, or you are not eligible for a payment,” the IRS said. “We will continue to send the 2021 Economic Impact Payment to eligible individuals throughout 2021.”And others will get a “Need More Information” message when using the tool if the payment was returned to the IRS because the post office was unable to deliver it for another reason.If your address has changed the IRS says the easiest way to update is to “file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you haven’t already done so. Once we receive your current address, we will reissue your payment.”In the coming weeks, more batches of payments will be sent via direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card, according to the agency. Some people may see the direct deposit payments as “pending” or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date of March 17, the IRS added. When do taxes need to be filed in 2021?: IRS tax deadline changes with income taxes and payments due May 17 to give taxpayers more time amid COVID-19COVID-19 relief payments are going to the wrong accounts: Stimulus checks going to wrong bank accounts for some AmericansContributing: Jessica Menton, USA TODAYFollow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko