Congress recently approved a second COVID-19 relief package that includes a stimulus check payment of up to $600. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) started sending out the second stimulus check payments, and most would arrive by January-end. However, if you haven’t received your first and second stimulus check payments by mail or direct deposit yet, you can claim them on your 2020 tax return. You needn’t contact the IRS regarding a missing payment unless you believe it was stolen or lost. Here are some signs that you should contact the IRS:

You received a letter confirming your payment but didn’t receive the money

The federal government sent paper notices to all the recipients of first stimulus check payments within 15 days of making the payment and will do so for second stimulus check recipients as well. 

If you received this letter (Notice 144) but not your payment, check the Get My Payment tool on the IRS website to cross-check if the payment has been issued. You can get information about your payment by submitting Form 3911 or calling the IRS at 800-919-9835.

Your payment was issued as a paper check, but the scheduled arrival date was over four weeks ago

If your payment was due to arrive as a check, either the United States Postal Service (USPS) was unable to deliver it, or the check was stolen. Again, use the Get My Payment tool to verify if the check was issued and the payment mode.

Submit Form 3911 or call the IRS at 800-919-9835 if over four weeks have passed since the check was issued, or six weeks have passed even though the USPS has a forwarding address for you, and you aren’t asked to enter your bank information online. If you live overseas, you can trace the payment after it’s been nine weeks since it was mailed.

You can even track your stimulus check in the mail using the USPS Informed Delivery system if your mailing address allows this service.

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