Some delayed stimulus payments may not arrive until you file 2020 taxes
Some delayed stimulus payments may not arrive until you file 2020 taxes
A majority of eligible Americans have already received their $600 pandemic stimulus checks. The Treasury has paid out $112.3 billion so far in the second round. But now the IRS says millions may not get the money until they file their tax returns this year.
If you check the IRS’ “Get My Payment” tool for a status update and don’t see the money, that’s an indicator that your payment is not coming, the I.R.S. said.
What you’ll need to do is claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when filing your 2020 taxes.
To get stimulus payments out quickly, the IRS has been sending out paper checks and direct deposits based on information from last year’s tax returns.
But there’s a glitch: For some taxpayers, the IRS has out-of-date bank account information.
One of the principal ways that happens is if someone files through an online tax preparation service, and that service opens a temporary account in order to collect their fee from refunds. The IRS said that temporary and inactive accounts are leading to electronic deposits bouncing back.
It’s unclear if the agency is also encountering problems with mailed checks.
During the first round of direct payments back in the spring, if an error occurred, the agency would try to mail people checks or debit cards, or have them update their bank account information. That won’t happen this time around. With the next tax filing season about to start, the IRS says it doesn’t have the time to reissue payments when there’s a problem.
The IRS wants taxpayers that don’t get stimulus money this month to claim that Recovery Rebate Credit instead on their next tax returns.
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