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If you were not one of the millions of Americans who received your stimulus check this week, wait a minute – there may be a reason for that.
The IRS has reported that checks, up to $ 1,400, are arriving in batches, the first of which began to be processed on Friday, March 12.
Some people, however, have had to wait until the official payment date on Wednesday, March 17, and have seen their payments as pending or provisional until then.
If you haven’t received yours yet, there’s a chance it’s still in the mail – the Treasury said on Wednesday it had sent about 150,000 checks and more would be sent in the coming weeks.
However, there could be another reason: your money may have been intercepted by a debt collector, according to Yahoo! Finance.
The agency said there was a new loophole in this round of payments not seen in the previous two rounds, which now gives collectors access to seize checks to pay off debts, not including tax debts or alimony.
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If that is the case for your payment, I hope it will not be for long: on Wednesday, Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would protect payments from debt collectors, according to The Hill.
In the meantime, not receiving a check can also mean that the IRS simply does not know that you are qualified. Not everyone needs to file their taxes – and if you are part of that group, the IRS has no way of knowing that you should receive a check.
According to the H&R Block, if you are single, under the age of 65 and earning less than $ 12,400, you do not have to file taxes and therefore will not receive a check. Yahoo! Finance advises enrolling in a reliable tax software program to correct the problem.
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If you did not register your taxes in 2019 or 2020 and did not register for the Economic Impact Payment using the IRS non-filing portal, you can still do so, and you can still receive all three stimulus checks by filling out a declaration 2020 and claiming Recovery Recovery Credit.
If none of these delays apply to you, your check may arrive on the next batch. Those who have direct deposit set up were prioritized in the first round, so others may have to wait several weeks for their payments to arrive by mail, either by check or prepaid debit card. The IRS said the cards will come in a white envelope bearing the United States Department of the Treasury seal.
Eligibles include anyone who earns less than $ 75,000 a year or couples who earn less than $ 150,000 together.
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Dependents in families earning less than $ 150,000 combined are also eligible for checks, and the IRS will reference an individual’s most recent income tax return, including for 2020, if already registered, to determine income eligibility. Unlike the first two checks, dependents do not need to be under the age of 17 to be eligible.
Individuals who earn between $ 75,000 and $ 80,000 will still receive a check, but it will be less than $ 1,400, and those who earn more than $ 80,000 will not receive a check.
To check your status, you can visit the IRS “Get my payment” tool.