stimulus checks

Most Americans started to receive their stimulus checks at the end of last month, but this isn’t the case for everyone. If you’re one of those Americans who haven’t received their stimulus payment there are a number of reasons why. While it was estimated that 140 million households were eligible for a stimulus payment, still many millions of people haven’t received theirs. So, let find out why this is. Below are the top reasons why your stimulus check hasn’t arrived yet.

You make too much to qualify for a stimulus check

The CARES Act states that a payment of $1,200 will be sent to adults who qualify for payment and an additional $500 per qualifying child that is a dependent. Although this is true, it isn’t true for anyone who makes over $99,000. And it’s also not true for those who filed a federal tax return jointly with their spouse and make over $198,000.

This is how the payments work regarding your income. The amount of stimulus money you’ll receive goes down by $5 for every $100 you make over $75,000. This applies to you if you’ve filed your taxes as a single person. If you filed as a married couple, then your amount will decrease by $5 for every $100 you make over $150,000. These calculations are based on the adjusted gross income you reported on the 2019 tax return. If you didn’t file yet, you have until July 15, but your 2018 tax return might be used to calculate your stimulus check.

So, if you make over $99,000 as a single filer then that drops the amount of your stimulus check to $0 and if you make over $198,000 as a married couple then that drops your check to $0 as well. But many adults can still receive payment for their children. This applies to you if you have a family of four, file jointly, and your adjusted gross income is below $218,000.

You didn’t receive a federal tax refund in the past two years

For people who didn’t get a federal tax refund in the past two years the IRS may not have your direct deposit information on file. If this applies to you then there’s another way to deal with this by adding your direct deposit information on the IRS website. But, if you don’t add this information than you may still receive your payment through the mail.

Your 2019 tax return was filed on paper

Another reason you might not have received your stimulus payment is that the IRS has your street address on file but not your direct deposit information. In which case the IRS will send you a paper check in the mail. The first round of paper checks was sent out at the end of April and was expected to go to people with an adjusted gross income of $10,000 or less. The subsequent weeks go up by $10,000 so if you make more than $40,000 this may be a reason why you haven’t received your check yet. In this case you should expect your payment in the next several weeks.

Your stimulus check was sent to an old bank account

If you didn’t file for a 2019 tax return and didn’t get a refund, then the IRS will use the bank account information on the 2018 tax year. This means if you switched banks or accounts then the IRS will send the money to your old account. The bank will then reject that payment and the IRS will send you a paper check using your mailing address on file.

You receive SSI, RR or VA benefits

If you receive support in the form of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement or VA benefits then you should expect your stimulus check come early May. This is because there were reports by these services that many didn’t receive their payments.

You didn’t file a tax return

If you happened to not file a tax return you can still register for a stimulus check through the IRS website or by using TurboTax’s free tool to file for a minimum return.

When will you get your stimulus check?

So, when will you get your stimulus check? Tracking the status of your payment is quite easy. You can do this online at the IRS website here. After about 15 days they will send you a notification in the mail including the check size and method of payment. This will include a phone number to reach them if your still didn’t receive your check.

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