If you filed your taxes with popular tax software, your stimulus payment may be delayed.
The U.S. Treasury Department sent out $80 million in stimulus payments on Wednesday, April 15, but many Americans are still anxiously awaiting for payments to come. The first traunch of payments was given to taxpayers who filed returns in 2018 and 2019 with direct deposit information on file. But so far the process has had some hiccups. Some filers claim they didn’t get the right amount, and filers that used popular tax preparation software missed payments altogether.
In a statement to the Washington Post, a Treasury Department spokesperson said that they are aware of the problem and encouraged people to enter their bank information in the “Get My Payment” portal. But people who have tried to use the portal have experienced long wait times and a response that simply says “Payment status not available.”
There are many reasons why filers didn’t get their stimulus payment and can’t verify it on the site. If you haven’t filed your 2018 or 2019 tax return or it hasn’t be processed, you won’t be able to check your payment status. If you receive Social Security, disability, Veterans Administration, or Railroad Retirement benefits, you can’t get an update either. U.S. citizens that don’t file a tax return have the option to enter their information on the IRS website or wait for a paper check.
Courtesy Adobe
If you filed your taxes with services or software from companies like Turbo Tax, H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, the IRS may have trouble verifying your bank information. The problem seems to be occurring more for people who have received advances on their tax refund. The IRS is encouraging these people to visit the Get My Payment portal and try to input their bank information.
On April 15, the IRS announced that people who receive Supplemental Security Income or SSI will automatically receive stimulus payments without having to submit anything to the IRS. They will still have to visit the IRS website to request the $500 payment for each child under 17 in their household.
If you haven’t received your stimulus payment, the first thing you should do is visit the IRS site and verify your information in the payment portal. The site has been experiencing a lot of traffic and you may have to wait. Be sure to limit how many times you input your information or the site may lock you out. You can also visit the IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief page for updates on the program.
