Direct-deposit errors are just the beginning. Here are possible reasons you didn’t get your stimulus check when your friends and family did.
The IRS and US Treasury have sent 127 million third stimulus checks to the tune of roughly $325 billion as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, the Treasury announced Wednesday. If you’re still waiting for your $1,400 maximum per-person payment, you might be wondering what’s causing the holdup. The possibilities may surprise you.
Stimulus checks are anything but simple and the rules keep changing from check to check. The qualification details aren’t always the same from group to group either and there may be some considerations you need to know if you’re an older adult, a younger adult, a nonfiler or someone who receives Social Security benefits, like SSI, SSDI and veteran’s benefits. If you had a baby, claim newly-qualified dependents or are part of a mixed-citizenship status family, that could change your scenario, too, especially since tax season complicates the third stimulus check calculations.
Here are some reasons that your third stimulus payment could be delayed, how you can track it in online and in the mail. We also have guides on how to claim a missing payment, what to do if there’s a problem and what we’ve heard so far about a fourth stimulus check.
Your stimulus check was sent to the wrong bank account
The problem: You signed up for direct deposit, but your check didn’t arrive. Why? It’s possible that your stimulus payment went to the wrong bank account. Maybe your account was closed, or an electronic transfer attempt was made for a temporary bank account, like one used on behalf of millions of people who used a tax preparer like Jackson Hewitt, TurboTax and H&R Block. Although this latter issue hasn’t been widely reported, it affected the first and second payments.
What to do: Reach out to your bank or tax preparer to see if an attempt was made to deposit money to your account. Ask if they have an internal protocol to file a report or follow up with a representative who can help.
What next? If you don’t get a direct deposit by March 24 (the official date), then your stimulus payment will arrive in the mail. Here’s how to track the payment to your mailbox. The IRS is not allowing individuals to register for new direct deposit accounts or correct inaccuracies. If your third stimulus check never arrives, here are all the ways you can try to resolve the issue.
Your registered for direct deposit for the first time on your 2020 taxes
The problem: You filed your 2020 taxes and signed up for direct deposit for the first time or corrected your banking information, but the IRS didn’t transfer stimulus funds into your account by March 24.
Why? It may be that the IRS didn’t process your tax return and information before it sent your third stimulus payment.
What now? Track your 2020 tax return to see what your status is. If your direct deposit doesn’t trickle in a few days past the March 24 due date, you’ll want to keep an eye on the mail for a paper check or EIP debit card. Also use the IRS check tracking tool to see when your stimulus payment is scheduled to send.
Are you sure you qualify to receive the third stimulus check?
The problem: New income limits to your AGI mean that some people who qualified to get the first two payments aren’t eligible to receive the third check. If you get a stimulus check for 2019 for more money than you’re eligible to receive for your 2020 taxes, you don’t need to return the money (in most cases). If your 2020 taxes mean you qualify for more money than you get, you’ll be able to claim a make-up payment.
What to do: Brush up on the stimulus check requirements, including by calculating your stimulus check total. Then, compare this figure to what you actually receive. A new change this time around means that if your income is over the limit, you won’t get a partial check — no matter how many dependents you have.
As you try to discover the status of your stimulus check, here’s what we know about who qualifies, how much you could expect and every tax break or payment you could get in the stimulus bill.
