EIP 1
What if the bank account number I used was closed or is no longer active?
A4. In general, if the account is closed or no longer active, the bank returns the deposit and you may have been issued a check mailed to the address we have on file for you. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service (USPS).
If the IRS received the payment back from the bank after December 31, 2020 a check was not issued to you. You will need to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return.
Why can’t the IRS reissue the second Economic Impact Payment to me?
The IRS delivered the second Economic Impact Payment as rapidly as possible, as required by law. Due to the compressed timeline, the IRS is unable to reissue any payments. If your payment was returned to the IRS we are unable to reissue the check.
If you’re eligible, and didn’t receive a second payment – or if you didn’t receive the full amount – you may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR tax return.
When did the IRS start issuing the third round of Economic Impact Payments?
The IRS started processing payments on Friday, March 12, 2021 to eligible taxpayers who filed a 2019 or 2020 return, including people who don't typically file a return but who successfully used the Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov in 2020.
We'll continue issuing payments throughout 2021.
How can I get a direct deposit if I don’t have a bank account?
A7. Filing electronically and having your refund sent via direct deposit is the fastest and safest way to receive your money.
If you don’t have a bank account, visit the FDIC website or the National Credit Union Association using their Credit Union Locator Tool for information on where to find a bank or credit union that can open an account online and how to choose the right account for you.
If you are a veteran, see the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) for access to financial services at participating banks.
If you have a prepaid debit card, you may be able to have your refund applied to the card. Many reloadable prepaid cards or mobile payment apps have account and routing numbers that you could provide to the IRS. You would need to check with the financial institution to ensure your card can be used and to obtain the routing number and account number, which may be different from the card number.
Why can't I access Get My Payment?
To use Get My Payment, you must first verify your identity by answering security questions. (See Error Messages/Lockouts for more information if you can't access Get My Payment.)
If your answers don’t match our records multiple times, you’ll be locked out of Get My Payment for 24 hours for security reasons. If you can’t verify your identity, you won’t be able to use Get My Payment. Don’t contact the IRS for assistance with a lockout; IRS assistors can’t unlock your account. For more information, see Error Messages/Lockouts.
If you can’t get your payment status because you’ve been locked out, you must wait 24 hours and try again.
If you verified your identity and received “Payment Status Not Available,” this means either we have not processed your payment yet, we do not have enough information to issue you a payment or you are not eligible for a payment.
I filed a 2019 tax return. What do I need to do to get my first Payment?
A2. If the IRS was unable to process your 2019 return and issue you the first Economic Impact Payment by December 31, 2020, you may be able to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim it.
Will my Economic Impact Payment affect benefits I receive?
No, Economic Impact Payments can’t be counted as income when determining if you or anyone else is eligible for benefits or assistance, or how much you or anyone else can receive, under any federal program or under any state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. These programs also can’t count Economic Impact Payments as a resource for purposes of determining eligibility for a period of 12 months from receipt.
Will the third Economic Impact Payment affect benefits I receive?
No, Economic Impact Payments can’t be counted as income when determining if you or anyone else is eligible for benefits or assistance, or how much you or anyone else can receive, under any federal program or under any state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. These programs also can’t count Economic Impact Payments as a resource for purposes of determining eligibility for a period of 12 months from receipt.
Government Debts: Will the credit offset debts I owe to other government agencies?
A3. Yes, the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit can be reduced to pay debts owed to other Federal government agencies (separate from federal income tax debt) as well as to state agencies. Keep in mind that the credit is part of your tax refund and your tax refund is subject to any offset.
My address has changed or is incorrect. What can I do to change or correct it to receive my payment?
The easiest way to update your address with the IRS is to file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you haven’t already done so. The fastest way to file the return and have your address updated, is to file it electronically.
If your payment can’t be delivered to you for any reason, it will be returned to the IRS. To get your payment reissued:
I am currently incarcerated, or I was incarcerated at some point in 2020, and I have not received a Payment. What do I need to do to get a Payment?
A12. If you were not required to file a federal income tax return for 2018 or 2019 and you could not be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return, for either of those years, you had until November 4, 2020, to mail us your 2019 simplified paper return. That deadline has now passed. Eligible incarcerated individuals may claim a 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return and claim it on line 30.
If I filed a married filing joint return in 2019, do both my spouse and I need to have an SSN valid for employment to receive a payment?
No, if you file jointly with your spouse and only one individual has a valid SSN, the spouse with a valid SSN will receive up to a $600 payment and up to $600 for each qualifying child claimed on the 2019 tax return.
If neither has a valid SSN, no payment will be allowed even if their qualifying child has a valid SSN.
Active Military: If either spouse is an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the taxable year, only one spouse needs to have a valid SSN for the couple to receive up to $1,200 for themselves.
If you file separately from your spouse, only the spouse who has an SSN may qualify for a payment.
How do I avoid scams related to Economic Impact Payments or COVID-19?
The IRS urges everyone to be on the lookout for scam artists trying to use the Economic Impact Payments as a cover for schemes to steal personal information and money. The IRS doesn't initiate contact by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information – even information related to the Economic Impact Payments. Also, watch out for emails with attachments or links claiming to have special information about Economic Impact Payments or refunds.
If you receive a suspicious IRS-related email, see Report Phishing and Online Scams for additional information.
If I didn’t receive the first or second Economic Impact Payments because a 2018 or 2019 joint return was filed in my name without my consent, can I claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit?
A6. You may be able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you can establish in writing that the return was signed under duress, your signature was forged, the return was filed without your consent, or you were not legally married at the end of the year on which the first or second payment was based. The first and second payments were generally issued based on information from the 2019 return, but were issued based on information from the 2018 return if a 2019 had not been filed or processed by the IRS when the payments were made.
To show that you could not resist your spouse’s demands and signed under duress, you can provide written documentation to support your claim that the joint election was invalid. You can submit a separate return for the prior year if you had a filing requirement or provide a statement signed and sworn under penalties of perjury that you didn’t need to file a tax return for the prior year or that the return was filed without your consent.
We received the third Economic Impact Payment, but it was only half the amount we’re eligible for. When will we get the second half?
In some cases, married taxpayers who file a joint tax return may get their third payment as two separate payments; half may come as a direct deposit and the other half will be mailed to the address we have on file. This is generally the address on the most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The second half may come the same week or within weeks of the first half. Each taxpayer on the tax return should check Get My Payment separately using their own Social Security number to see the status of their payments. Please continue to monitor IRS.gov for additional information and updates.
How much will Social Security, Railroad Retirement and Department of Veteran Affairs benefit recipients receive?
A4. If you did not file a tax return or use the Non-Filer tool to claim a spouse or any qualifying children, your first Economic Impact Payment was $1,200.
If you filed a tax return or used the Non-Filer tool to claim a spouse or qualifying children, your first Economic Impact Payment was based on the return filed or the information you entered in the Non-Filer tool.
Do I qualify for the payment if I’m a resident alien?
A person who’s a qualifying resident alien with an SSN valid for employment is eligible for the payment only if he or she is a qualifying resident alien in 2020 and may not be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer. A nonresident alien in 2020 isn’t eligible for the payment. An alien who received a payment but isn’t a qualifying resident alien for 2020 should return the payment to the IRS by following the instructions as described in Topic I: Returning the Economic Impact Payment for instructions.
How will the IRS send my third Economic Impact Payment if I have a representative payee or I am a representative payee?
The third round of Economic Impact Payments will be delivered to the account where your federal benefits are issued.
If you filed a 2020 tax return, or used the - no longer available - Non-Filer tool last year, the third payment will be sent to the bank account provided on your tax return for a direct deposit of your tax refund. If you tax refund was mailed or there was no refund on your tax return, then we will mail your payment to the address we have on file for you.
If you filed a 2020 or 2019 tax return: Your Payment was or will be sent to the bank account provided on your tax return for a direct deposit of your tax refund, or mailed to the address we have on file if a tax refund was mailed or there was no refund on your tax return. If you did not file a 2020 or 2019 tax return:
Where do I find my Economic Impact Payment amounts in my online account?
A5. When you access your account, go to the Tax Records tab to find the Economic Impact Payment amounts you need for calculating the Recovery Rebate Credit. The first round of payments will show as “Economic Impact Payment” and second round of payments will show as “Additional Economic Impact Payment”. Both amounts should be used to calculate the Recovery Rebate Credit, such as entering them on the applicable lines in the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet found in the Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions.
If you file a joint 2020 tax return with the same spouse, combine your amounts to calculate the Recovery Rebate Credit. Otherwise, enter only your portion of the payment when calculating the credit.
Where did the IRS get my bank information?
Your bank account information cannot be changed.
The bank account information in Get My Payment came from one of the following sources:
If you don’t recognize the bank account number displayed in the Get My Payment tool it does not mean your deposits were made to the wrong account or that there is a fraud. If you do not recognize the account number, it may be an issue related to how information is displayed in the tool tied to temporary accounts used for refund loans/banking products. You do not need to complete Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.
Is the payment includible in my gross income?
A2. No, the payment is not includible in your gross income. Therefore, you will not include the payment in your taxable income on your federal income tax return or pay income tax on your payment. It will not reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2020 federal income tax return.
A payment also will not affect your income for purposes of determining eligibility for federal government assistance or benefit programs.
Why have I received a letter indicating I haven’t activated a debit card for my second Economic Impact Payment?
Those who have still not activated their card are being sent a letter reminding them to activate their card or to request a replacement if they accidently threw it away.
The EIP cards were originally mailed in early January 2021 to about 1.4 million people who were eligible for a second Economic Impact Payment and would have otherwise received a check. The EIP cards were issued by MetaBank®, N.A. and came in a plain envelope from Money Network Cardholder Services.
Is my third Economic Impact Payment subject to garnishment?
The third round of stimulus payments provided under the American Recovery Plan Act is not exempt from garnishment by non-federal creditors under federal law.
Some states and financial institutions have chosen to act to protect these payments, however, and these payments are still protected from offset by the federal government. For example, if a taxpayer has a judgment against them obtained by a private party but also owes assessed federal taxes, the IRS will not subject the payment to offset with respect to the federal taxes. Depending on where the taxpayer lives or banks, however, it is possible that the payment would be subject to garnishment due to the judgment obtained by a private party.
I received a notice saying my 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit was changed because my adjusted gross income was too high. What do I need to do?
A11. The 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit has the same adjusted gross income limitations as the first and second Economic Impact Payments. Your 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit amount will be reduced if the adjusted gross income amount on line 11 of your 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR is above:
Your payment will be reduced by 5% of the amount by which your adjusted gross income exceeds the applicable threshold above. You do not need to take any action; the IRS has already adjusted your credit. The notice was to inform you of the change. No further action or calls are necessary.
What if I don’t recognize the bank information shown and I receive SSA, RRB, SSI or VA benefits?
If you did not file a tax return and you receive SSA, RRB, SSI or VA benefits and your benefits are currently deposited to a Direct Express card, then your third Economic Impact Payment will be deposited to that card. The bank information shown in Get My Payment will be a number associated with your Direct Express card and may be a number you don’t recognize.
For those without direct deposit information on file with the IRS, the IRS will use federal records of recent payments to or from the government, where available, to make the payment as a direct deposit. This helps to expedite payment delivery.
If you don’t recognize the bank account number displayed in the Get My Payment tool it does not mean your deposits were made to the wrong account or that there is a fraud. If you do not recognize the account number, it may be an issue related to how information is displayed in the tool tied to temporary accounts used for refund loans/banking products. You do not need to complete Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.