(ABC4) – If you still have yet to receive your stimulus payment, the IRS says you should keep your eye on the mail for paper checks or debit cards.
On Monday, the IRS announced the next batch of Economic Impact Payments will be issued to taxpayers this week, with many coming via paper check or prepaid debit card.
If you receive direct deposit, the IRS says this batch of payments began processing on Friday and will have an official pay date of Wednesday, March 24. Some taxpayers may see these in their accounts earlier, possibly as provisional or pending deposits.
A large number of the latest batch of stimulus payments will also be mailed. If you do not receive a direct deposit by March 24, the IRS says you should watch the mail carefully in the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card.
To track your stimulus payment, use the IRS’s ‘Get My Payment’ tool.
“The IRS continues to send the third round of stimulus payments in record time,” says IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Since this new set of payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks.”
The IRS says that the way you receive the third stimulus payment – either paper check, prepaid debit card, or direct deposit – may be different than the way you received a previous stimulus payment.
Paper checks will arrive in a white envelope from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In the memo field, you will see “Economic Impact Payment.” The check will look like this:
The prepaid debit cards, commonly referred to as an EIP Card, will also come in a white envelope, prominently displaying the seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The card has the Visa name on the front, as you can see below, and the issuing bank, MetaBank, N.A. on the back. Each mailing will include instructions on how to activate and use the card.
There are a number of other reasons why you might not have received your stimulus payment yet.
You haven’t filed your taxes yet
If you haven’t filed your 2020 tax return yet, the IRS will use your 2019 tax return to determine your eligibility. In addition, if you did not use direct deposit with your refund, or did not get a refund last year, the IRS may not have bank account information for you.
You filed your taxes by paper
Filing your taxes by paper, rather than electronically, can take time. Because of this, they may not have been processed yet.
You moved or changed bank accounts
If you’ve done either of these, it could mean your payment is coming via the mail, and may take longer.
Your income changed
If your income went up in 2020 versus 2019, your eligibility may have changed under the American Rescue Plan.
You owe money, like child support
Owing money, like child support, can delay your stimulus payment.
By the end of March, most people should start seeing their payments, according to the IRS, or have an idea of what the status of their payment is.
You can check the status of your payment with the IRS’s ‘Get My Payment’ tool. For more information on the stimulus payments, and how to file your taxes if you didn’t get one, visit the IRS’s website.
