With 165 million stimulus checks dispatched to date, there is every chance of a check going missing despite the rigorous process. And it could be for numerous reasons, including an old or wrong bank account number, an incorrect mailing address. But you can retrieve your missing check through several processes.
You could also receive less than what you should get as per your calculation. Waiting for a check doesn’t mean that you will not get one. Maybe your stimulus check has been delayed in the mail.
You might have received an IRS notice confirming your payment. But you did not receive the check.
There are also many issues to be resolved for Social Security recipients and veterans.
It is important to note that calling up the IRS for details doesn’t help. They have access to no more information than contained in the tracker.
Making Use Of The Get My Payment Tool To Track Your Payment
Sign up for the Get My Payment tracker to track your third stimulus payment. Though it will not give the complete information, you will know the date your payment was processed and the way you will receive it, either as a direct deposit or a paper check into your bank. You might also receive a pre-paid debit card in your mailbox.
The Get My Payment tracker might reveal that it doesn’t have information on your payment. You might also not receive your payment even after a reasonable period. You will, in such cases, have to apply for a trace to track your stimulus check.
For pending payments from the first and second stimulus check, the last date for claiming a Recovery Rebate Credit was May 17. You can apply for an extension if you have missed the deadline.
Making Sense Of The ‘Need More Information’ Message In The IRS Tracker
The IRS tracker displays the Need More Information when it is unable to trace your address even after sending your stimulus check. It indicates that the US postal service was not able to track your address and the payment has been returned to the IRS.
The ‘Payment Status Not Available’ On The Tracker
This message is displayed until your payment is finally issued. It is not a message that you are not eligible for the stimulus check. It only indicates that there could be a delay in payment.
What About The Veterans Or The Social Security Beneficiaries Such As The SSDI Or The SSI
The social security beneficiaries, the veterans, and the retired railroad workers started receiving their stimulus checks a month later starting from the first and second week of April.
A delay in getting the final list pushed back the payment date. These groups typically do not need to file returns and many had availed of the non-filers tool to give information to the IRS.
Even these groups had been advised to file the 2020 returns before the deadline to update information about their dependents and get their stimulus check at the earliest.
Contacting the Social Security Administration will not help as they have nothing to do with the stimulus check.
What If I Have A Direct Deposit Problem With The Bank?
The Get My Payment tracker doesn’t permit you to enter information until the IRS cannot send your payment. If the bank details you have supplied to the IRS are no longer valid, the stimulus payment will naturally no longer be credited to that account.
The IRS will then try to send you the payment through the mail. If it fails a second time, you will be allowed to enter information in the tracker.
Be sure to contact your bank and confirm that a payment has been returned. You will also have to monitor the tracker to trace if your payment has been delivered. You can also take the help of the US postal service tool to track your mail for the check.
Payments after March 24 have been sent through the postal service as a paper check or an EIP card. The IRS stopped direct bank deposits after that date.
Was My Stimulus Check Garnished To Clear My Debts?
For the third stimulus check, only private collectors were allowed to collect their dues from the stimulus check. The federal or state government has not collected any debts.
If you feel that your stimulus check could be garnished, it is advisable to call the bank to first confirm the request for garnishment. You can get details of how many days you are allowed to file an appeal with the local court and hold the garnishment.
Steps To Take If My Stimulus Check Is Missing
The IRS sends a letter a couple of weeks after sending the stimulus payment. This letter confirms your payment and has important details which might be needed later.
The IRS had set up a couple of numbers to help people for the first and second stimulus check, though not for the third stimulus check.
So if you need to get an update on your stimulus payment you will have to file a payment trace with the authorities. But first, you have to make sure that you qualify for the payment. You can make use of the various online tools to confirm your request.
When Exactly Do I Submit A Payment Trace For My Missing Stimulus Payment?
There is a certain waiting period after the IRS sends the payment before you file a payment trace. The payment should reach you within 5 days if it has been sent through a direct transfer to your bank account. If it has been sent as a paper check or a pre-paid debit card, you might have to wait for 4 weeks before filing a trace.
Filing A Payment Trace
You will have to mail or fax a completed Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund(PDF). Or you can call the IRS at 800-919-9835 and listen through the recorded statement before finally connecting with an agent.
You will be provided instruction by the IRS on completing Form 3911.
Keep note of this specific information. You will have to write ‘EIP3’ (Economic Impact Payment) on the top of the form. After you have entered all the relevant information, you will need to watch out for these specific inputs.
You will have to check the box for ‘Individual’ as the Type Of Return in item 7, Section 1.
The Tax Period should be entered as 2021. The Date Filed box should be left blank. Finally, sign the form. For those married and filing together, both spouses should sign.
Claiming The First And Second Stimulus Check
The first two stimulus checks could only be claimed through a Recovery Rebate Credit filed along with the 2020 returns. If you have missed the extended deadline on May 17, you can file for an extension.
Will I Receive A Pending Stimulus Amount As A Plus Up Payment?
You might not get the full amount in the initial stimulus check if your payment was based on the 2019 returns. Filing your 2020 returns might qualify you for further payment if your Adjusted Gross Income is lower. Also, the birth of a child in 2020 or the addition of a dependent might qualify you for an extra check.
