Editor’s note: The IRS is in the process of developing procedures for the issuance of stimulus payments to Americans, as called for under the CARES Act. These procedures are evolving, and the IRS has not yet worked out all of the details. AARP is monitoring the IRS closely and will provide the latest information on stimulus payments as soon as it becomes available.
En español | Federal lawmakers enacted a $2 trillion economic stimulus package on March 27 that will send most Americans checks of up to $1,200, as a way to put money directly in the pockets of families struggling to manage the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The legislation will give single adults who reported adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less on their 2019 tax returns a one-time check for $1,200. Married couples who filed jointly will receive $2,400. Families will get an additional $500 for each child under 17.
For the latest coronavirus news and advice go to AARP.org/coronavirus. To check the status of your stimulus check click here
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There were a number of Americans received the message "Payment Status Not Available."
The Get My Payment application will return "Payment Status Not Available" for several reasons, including:
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You are required to file a tax return, but:
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We haven't finished processing your 2019 return
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The application doesn't yet have your data; we’re working on adding more data to allow more people to use it.
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You don't usually file a return, and you used Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here but we haven’t processed your entry yet
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You’re not eligible for payment (see Eligibility).
If you receive “Payment Status Not Available”, you will not be able to provide direct deposit information at this time. We’re working on updates to allow more people to use this feature.
We update Get My Payment data once per day, overnight so there is no need to check more often. If you are eligible for a payment and have provided your information either through a recent tax return or the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here application, please check back for updates.
We see that the stimulus check issue depends on the tax refund. To check your refund to click on here
Millions of people have logged into the IRS's Get My Payment tool only to see this message: Payment Status Not Available. Some individuals who get this message are eligible for the stimulus payment and have filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019, but did not receive a refund from the IRS through direct deposit last year. The IRS is adding data for thousands of people at a time, so if you still see this message, check back in a few days to see if the information has been updated.
The IRS also says that individuals who haven't filed a tax return, Social Security and SSI recipients, veterans, and those who recently used the IRS's non-filer tool to file a simple tax return will see this message.
Others who have seen this message are clearly not eligible for the stimulus money, but the tool only says "we cannot determine your eligibility for payment at this time."
Note that payments for Social Security recipients who have not filed tax returns went out on April 29, and payments for SSI and veterans benefits recipients are anticipated in mid-May. The IRS has not clarified whether the Get My Payment tool will be updated with payment information when these payments go out.
The IRS is expected to send letters by mail within 15 days of making a direct deposit or sending a paper check. That letter will tell you the amount of your stimulus payment and how it was made. The letter is also supposed to give you instructions on fixing issues with your payment. Hopefully, though, the IRS will fix some of the existing problems over the next couple of weeks. So the best advice, for the time being, is: wait and see. This is tough advice for families who haven't received their stimulus money and need it for bills and groceries, but at the moment, there isn't a lot they can do. We'll update this page with new information as soon as the IRS releases it.
The government is paying the stimulus checks to U.S. citizens. The checks are also going to certain categories of non–U.S. citizens. This includes “legal permanent residents,” also known as green-card holders, according to the IRS.
But if someone still has a green-card application pending, they may not be getting a stimulus check, at least not any time soon.
Marriage to a green-card holder doesn’t necessarily mean a second stimulus check. If a spouse was married to a green-card holder and present in the United States before they received permanent-resident status, they, too, should be getting a check.
To be eligible, recipients cannot be nonresident alien individuals or dependents for someone else. Income is determined by a person’s adjusted gross income or AGI.
The Internal Revenue Service said earlier this month people who claim Social Security will not need to file a tax return and that the government will use their Form SSA-1099 statements to generate the payments.
Certain cases may make it tricky for retirees to get the proper amount though, experts said. There are circumstances where retirees may have been working in 2018, or even 2019, and earning more than the income limits, but now are below those thresholds, said Jamie Hopkins, director of retirement research at Carson Group.