(NEXSTAR) — The IRS has started distributing stimulus checks to millions of eligible Americans. The “Get My Payment” tool on the IRS website is live and will show eligible recipients the status of their third stimulus payment.
If you use the IRS website, you should see the scheduled deposit date for your check. Example: “We scheduled your payment to be deposited on March 17, 2021 to the bank account below.”
A note on the website says, “If you don’t see your payment credited to your account, check with your bank to verify they received it. We will mail you a letter with additional information on this payment.”
Why are you seeing ‘Payment Status Not Available’?
The Get My Payment application will say “Payment Status Not Available” for the following reasons:
- Your payment hasn’t been processed yet.
- The IRS doesn’t have enough information to issue you a payment.
- You aren’t eligible for a payment.
The IRS will be issuing the stimulus check payments through 2021. You should check back on “Get My Payment” for updates.
For answers to more frequently asked questions, click here.
When should I get my payment?
Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun. The first payments began to show up in bank accounts over the weekend.
President Joe Biden signed the new $1.9 trillion rescue package last week, the day after it won final passage in the House. The measure provides for payments to qualifying individuals of up to $1,400, with payments to a qualifying family of four of $5,600.
“The payments will be delivered automatically to taxpayers even as the IRS continues delivering regular tax refunds,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.
It is estimated that 85% of Americans will be eligible for the payments, and the goal is to have millions of the payments disbursed in the next few weeks.
Taxpayers who have provided bank information with the IRS will receive the direct-deposit payments, while others will get paper checks or debit cards mailed to them.
Officials said in the interest of speeding up the relief payments, the IRS will use the latest tax return available, either the 2019 return filed last year or the 2020 return that is due by April 15 to determine the amount someone might receive.
This same tool was previously used during the other stimulus check rollouts and did reportedly encounter some problems, including being overwhelmed by the amount of users.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.