Are you expecting a stimulus payment, but you haven’t received your money from the IRS yet? Perhaps it seems like your friends and family have gotten theirs, but not you. What’s going on? Why are you the only one in your family or circle of friends who haven’t received their stimulus payment? If you’re still waiting on a stimulus check that has yet to arrive, now is the time to start asking questions.
As it turns out, millions of Americans are still waiting on their coronavirus stimulus checks. The economic stimulus checks ($1200 for qualifying individuals and $2,400 for married couples) were issued to help counteract the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic. You get to spend the money and you don’t have to report it as income. You can do what you want with it – pay bills, buy groceries, pay off a credit card – the sky’s the limit. Additionally, lawmakers are currently working on a bill for the second round of stimulus payments.
Not Everyone is Eligible
While most adults will receive an economic stimulus payment, not everyone is eligible. You are eligible for a stimulus payment if you are a single US resident with an adjusted gross income (AGI) less than $99,000, you filed as head of household and you earn less than $146,500, you filed jointly without children and you earn under $198,000 a year, or you are a parent of a child who is 16 or younger.
As of May 22, the IRS had issued 152 million payments, but the IRS isn’t finished. In April, the IRS estimated that it could take as long as 20 weeks to issue all of the payments. What’s more, the IRS has been prioritizing and issuing payments to people with the lowest incomes first.
According to the IRS’s plan and your AGI, it could be weeks, if not months before you see your payment. So, if you’re still waiting, that could be the issue.
Possible reasons why you haven’t received a check:
- The banking information the IRS has for you is not valid or it’s out of date.
- Your bank had a problem processing the direct deposit.
- You owe past-due child support (this can reduce or eliminate your stimulus payment depending on how much you owe).
- You’re married and filed jointly and your spouse owes back child support.
- You claimed a college student as a dependent; therefore, you are not eligible for payment on their behalf.
If you have questions about your Economic Impact Payment, click here to get information directly from the IRS.