With a fair amount of fanfare, the IRS recently released its "Get My Payment" tool. This online app—located on the IRS website at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment—is supposed to let you:
- Check the status of your stimulus payment;
- Confirm your payment type (paper check or direct deposit);
- Get a projected direct deposit or paper check delivery date (or find out if a payment hasn't been scheduled); and
- Enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn't have your direct deposit information and they haven't sent your payment yet.
Unfortunately, however, many people (millions?) can't get any information out of this tool. They keep getting a message saying: "Payment Status Not Available. According to information that we have on file, we cannot determine your eligibility for a payment at this time." It can be very frustrating if you're one of the people getting this message every day—believe me, I know, because I'm one of them.
According to the IRS, there are several reasons why the "Get My Payment" tool will give you the "Payment Status Not Available" messages, including:
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- The IRS hasn't finished processing your 2019 return;
- The tool doesn't have your data yet;
- You used the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" tool, but the IRS hasn’t processed your entry yet;
- You receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement Board benefits, or Veterans Administration benefits, and the necessary information from the agency that administers those benefit programs hasn't been loaded onto the IRS system yet (for people who don't normally file a tax return; or
- You're not eligible for a payment.
For many of us, it looks like we'll just need to wait a little longer. The IRS updates the tool once per day (overnight), and they're working on adding more data to allow more people to use the tool. So, I guess working a little harder on being patient will do me some good.
(To find out how much money you'll get, use our Stimulus Check Calculator.)
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Rises 854 Points From Its Intraday LowIf there's one thing markets hate, it's uncertainty. But uncertainty is all they're getting these days.
-
Are You a Retirement Millionaire Too Scared To Spend?If you are too scared to spend money in retirement, you may be saddled with regret. Here are three ways to safely enjoy your sizable retirement nest egg.
-
U.S. Treasury to Eliminate Paper Checks: What It Means for Tax Refunds, Social SecurityTreasury President Trump signed an executive order forcing the federal government to phase out paper check disbursements by the fall.
-
IRS Layoffs Spark Delays, Doubt This Tax SeasonTax Season Tax experts say Trump’s downsizing of the IRS is already causing problems.
-
States with the Highest Income Tax Rates for RetireesState Tax You may reconsider living and retiring in one of these states due to high taxes.
-
AI Tax Scams Target Middle and Older Adults: What to KnowScams Whether you’re a retiree or Gen Z, scammers can gouge big financial losses with the help of artificial intelligence.
-
Tax-Deductible Home Improvements for Retirement in 2025Retirement Taxes Your aging-in-place plan could benefit from the medical expense tax deduction. But watch out for capital gains and property taxes.
-
Don’t Make These Five Mistakes on Your Tax ReturnTax Filing The IRS warns taxpayers to watch out for these common errors as they prepare to file.
-
You Don’t Want to Retire in Portugal: Here Are Three Tax Reasons WhyRetirement Taxes With the NHR benefit retiring and pension taxes increasing, you might rethink your retirement plans in Portugal.
-
Why Abolishing Florida Property Taxes is ProblematicProperty Taxes A bold proposal that aims to eliminate property taxes in the Sunshine State has roused concerns from economists, and rightly so.
