If you didn’t get your second stimulus check yet, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the state of your “$600” payment before the Jan. 15 stimulus deadline comes and goes this Friday. Maybe your check was ensnared in the IRS’ delivery error with direct deposit. Or maybe your paper check or EIP card is still on its way. Of course, it could be that you’re one of the millions of people who will need to file a claim with the IRS after the deadline and get this second stimulus payment later in 2021.
Right now, the best thing you can do for yourself is to use one or both of the free tools we know of to check in on the status of your second stimulus payment. The IRS’ Get My Payment tool, an online app, will tell you how your $600 stimulus check money will arrive and when it’s getting sent, among other things. You can also track your mailed check to your house (or, in some cases, reach out to the IRS directly).
Be forewarned that the Get My Payment tool can also be a bit inscrutable. For example, you may see a hard-to-decode error message highlighting an issue that might be holding up your check’s delivery. We’ll tell you what it means and what to do. (Here’s why you’ll get the total stimulus money you do and how large a payment you could expect in a third stimulus check.) This story updates often.
Read this before using the IRS Get My Payment tool
The IRS’ payment-tracking tool, called Get My Payment, requires a bit of explanation:
- The IRS updates its status tracking information overnight, once a day.
- If you try to access the tool during a busy period, you may wait in a queue before you can enter your information.
- You’ll need to plug in your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, date of birth, street address and ZIP or postal code — so have those handy.
- The portal may show your payment status, whether it’s been scheduled, the payment method (direct deposit or by mail) and date. It’ll also let you know if the service can’t yet determine your status — more below on error messages.
- The IRS is sending payments on a schedule and in batches. If your payment schedule is set, the Get My Payment tool will show you the date.
After using the IRS tracker, you could also sign up for a free service from the post office that tells you exactly when your stimulus check will arrive in the mail (more below).
What does ‘Need More Information’ really mean?
You may see an error if the tool can’t determine your eligibility — or if you’re completely ineligible — if your payment status isn’t available, or if a lot of people are trying to access the tool at once. Here are some initial reasons why Get My Payment may not be able to track your payment status, though the IRS has since said it’s improved its tool.
If the Get My Payment tool gave you a payment date but you still haven’t received your money, the IRS may need more details from you. Check the Get My Payment tool again — if it reports “Need More Information,” this could indicate that your check has been returned because the post office was unable to deliver it, an IRS representative told CNET.
After you see the “Need More Information” message, the online tool will let you enter your banking information to receive your payment straight to your bank account. The IRS said If you don’t provide your bank account information, the agency will hold your payment till it receives a current mailing address. Head to the IRS change-address page for how to update your address with the IRS. You’ll also want to inform the USPS of your new residence……Read More>>
Source:- cnet