COVID Tax Tip 2020-128, September 29, 2020
Eligible individuals can visit IRS.gov and use the Get My Payment tool to find out the status of their Economic Impact Payment. This tool will show if a payment has been issued and whether the payment was direct deposited or sent by mail.
In certain situations, this tool will also give people the option of providing their bank account information to receive their payment by direct deposit. Information is updated once a day, usually overnight, so there’s no need to check it more than once a day.
Here are some key things to know about this tool and who can use it.
- Before using the tool, people must verify their identity by answering security questions.
- If the answers do not match IRS records after multiple attempts, the user will be locked out of the tool for 24 hours. This is for security reasons. Those who can’t verify their identity won’t be able to use Get My Payment. If this happens, people should not contact the IRS.
- If the tool returns a message of “payment status not available,” this may mean the IRS can’t determine the person’s eligibility for a payment right now. There are several reasons this could happen. Two common reasons are:
- A 2018 or 2019 tax return is not on file and the agency needs more information or,
- The individual could be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
- In some cases, if a taxpayer has filed their 2019 tax return but the IRS hasn’t processed it yet, they may receive “payment status not available.” Taxpayers who’ve already filed a tax return don’t need to take any action. The IRS continues to issue Economic Impact Payments as tax returns are processed.
- People who aren’t required to file a tax return and used the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool to register for a payment can check the status of their payment using the Get My Payment tool. These individuals should wait two weeks after submitting their information. If they’re required to file a 2019 tax return and they used the Non-Filer tool, this may delay processing their tax return and their Economic Impact Payment.
- Recipients of SSA-1099, RRB-1099, SSI or VA benefits may not have filed a return or used the Non-Filer tool. These people can check Get My Payment for the status of their payment, if they can verify their identity. If a benefit recipient has not received their payment, the IRS might need more information. If these individuals can’t be claimed as a dependent and aren’t required to file a tax return, they should use the Non-filer tool to register for a payment.
- Most individuals receive only one payment, but there are some situations where they may receive an additional payment. This includes certain federal benefit recipients of Social Security, SSI, RRB or VA who may receive a catch-up $500 payment for each qualifying child. Get My Payment will show the status of their most recent payment.