ANYONE eligible for a second stimulus check who is still yet to receive it can check on the status of their $600 per person payment using an online tool.
The latest payments have already arrived in millions of Americans' bank accounts, but some eligible people are still waiting to receive the money.
Payment Trace is a free tool by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that can be used to track individual stimulus checks.
If you're eligible for the stimulus check, there are still ways you can work out the status of the payment, which the IRS was given until January 15 to distribute.
Just keep in mind that the holiday weekend may have affected mail delivery, so it's possible the check has been sent out and is on its way.
However, if you don't receive your payment in the next few days, you'll typically need to claim the money on your 2020 tax returns.
To help work out your next steps, it's worth checking the IRS tool called "Get My Payment".
Who’s eligible for the stimulus check?
THERE is certain criteria that must be met in order to claim your second stimulus check.
You could be entitled to a payment if the following is true:
- You are not a dependent of another taxpayer
- You have a Social Security number valid for employment
Your adjusted gross income (AGI) must also not exceed:
- $150,000 if married and filing a joint return
- $112,500 if filing as head of household or
- $75,000 for single applicants
For earnings above this amount, payments will shrink by $5 for every $100 earned.
It means they will be phased out completely at $87,000 for individuals and $174,000 for couples filing jointly.
Children under 17 years old will also receive the same $600 payment as adults, but "child dependents" who are 17 years old will not.
It will tell you how much your total second stimulus check should be, how it'll be paid, if there's a delay, and more.
If your check has been issued, the Get My Payment tool will also show you the date it was sent.
To use to the tool, you'll need to add your social security number or individual taxpayer identification number and date of birth.
You also need to provide your street address as well as the ZIP or postal code.
If you receive the message "payment status not available" once you've verified your identity, this is usually due to two common reasons.
It may be because you didn't file a 2019 tax return, or you did file and your return hasn't been processed yet.
IRS said it updates Get My Payment data once per day overnight, so there's no need to check more often than this.
In fact, it's limited each user to five logins per day to manage system capacity.
Just like the first check which went out last year, the purpose of the second payment is to help people struggling during the coronavirus crisis.
And with Covid still causing major disruption there could even be a third stimulus check coming worth as much as $1,400.
We explain seven reasons why your $600 stimulus check hasn't arrived yet.
Meanwhile, a warning has been issued as Americans are throwing away their $600 cards because the envelopes "look like junk mail."
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