Once you are sure that you deserve a stimulus check, but haven’t received one, you need to get into the act to collect your payment. It is more than 2 months since the authorities have begun sending out the Economic Impact Payments as part of the American Rescue Plan.
Close to 165M checks have gone out, around 90% of the overall payments set to be sent out by December 2021. And if you haven’t received it, it’s likely your check was lost, stolen, or more likely, not sent in the first place.
Whatever the reasons you need to first check-up if your payment was sent through the Get My Tracker, and then filing for a trace. Here’s how you should go about it.
Make Sure That You Are Owed A Stimulus Check
First, ascertain that you are in line for a stimulus check. You could use any of the online calculators to arrive at the amount. Several factors go into the amount of your stimulus check. Other than the Adjusted Gross Income, the numbers of dependents in your family contribute to the total amount.
The IRS’s Get My Payment app will give you daily updates on your stimulus check. You will need your Social Security number and other personal details to register. You will know the date your stimulus check was sent and the payment mode, either a direct deposit or through the US postal service.
If the tracker reports that your payment was sent out more than a month back, you might need to get into the act.
Each mode of payment takes its own time. While it is less than a week for a direct deposit into your account, it might take up to four weeks for the mail to deliver your paper check or debit card. The IRS tracker should help you with that.
But you need to get into the act immediately if you have missed out on the initial two stimulus checks sent out last year.
If you have crossed the required waiting period, you need to file Form 3911 or contact the IRS at 800-919-9835.
If your initial check never comes in, you will get a replacement after a certain waiting period. It takes around 6 more weeks, though it could be delayed. If the initial check does come in at a later date, the IRS has instructed people to destroy it.
