he Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin sending stimulus payments to millions of Americans this week, part of the federal government’s efforts to prop up the economy while many businesses are struggling or shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion stimulus package signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, calls for payments of up to $1,200 for every American with a Social Security number who isn’t considered a dependent.
The amount each person or family receives in their stimulus check — formally called an Economic Impact Payment — will depend on their financial circumstances. Individuals or heads of household can receive up to $1,200, while married couples filing jointly can receive up to $2,400. But those with higher incomes will receive less stimulus money — individuals who make between $75,000 and $99,000, for instance, will receive less than the full $1,200. And those with incomes above certain limits will not receive a stimulus check at all. Individuals who make more than $99,000, heads of household who make more than $136,500, and married couples filing jointly who make more than $198,000 will not receive a stimulus check. People will also receive $500 per child under the age of 17. (Here’s a helpful calculator for estimating your payout.)
Unlike your tax return, these checks will largely be sent out with no action required on your part. “The vast majority of people won’t have to do anything to get their recovery rebate because the IRS already has their information on file and will automatically send payments to these individuals,” Erica York, an economist at the nonprofit Tax Foundation, says via email.
Some circumstances can disqualify you from receiving a stimulus check. While the CARES Act postponed debt on student loans and back taxes, it didn’t apply to delinquent child support payments. So if you’re behind on child support, the government can garnish your check, USA Today reports. Furthermore, you won’t receive a payment if someone lists you as a dependent on their tax return, or if you don’t have a valid Social Security number — meaning immigrants with green cards or H-1B and H-2A visas can receive payments but non-resident aliens cannot, per NBC News.
Here’s what to know about getting your stimulus check.
When is my stimulus check coming?
That depends on whether you gave the IRS your direct deposit information when you filed your 2018 or 2019 federal tax returns. If you did, the agency will use that information to automatically deposit your stimulus check into your bank account. Keep an eye out for those funds: the Treasury Department expects that over 80 million Americans will receive their payments via direct deposit this week. If you didn’t provide your direct deposit information with your tax returns, the IRS will send you a paper check in the mail. But that will take longer than direct deposit to reach you. In a statement to TIME on April 16, a Treasury spokesperson said officials expect the first paper checks to “be in the mail early next week.”
“Paper checks are expected to take longer than direct deposit and likely won’t be sent out all at once, but instead dispersed over a period of several weeks,” York tells TIME. “People who do not have direct deposit information on file with the IRS should expect a delay in receiving their payment.” At that rate, it could take up to five months for everyone to get their paper checks, she says.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that the Treasury Department has ordered that President Trump’s name be printed on the paper checks. According to the Post, this move may delay their delivery by a few days. A Treasury spokesperson denied this claim in a statement to TIME, adding that “Economic Impact Payment checks are scheduled to go out on time and exactly as planned—there is absolutely no delay whatsoever.”
The IRS will also send stimulus check recipients a confirmation letter 15 days after the payment was sent, regardless of how it was sent. If you get that letter but haven’t received your payment yet, something may be amiss.
How can I get my money faster?
If you didn’t provide your direct deposit information with your taxes but don’t want to wait several weeks or months for your stimulus payment, don’t panic. A free online tool from the IRS called Get My Payment allows people to provide their direct deposit information so they don’t have to wait for their check to arrive in the mail.
David Hasen, a professor at the University of Florida Law School who specializes in federal income tax law, tells TIME that the IRS has not yet indicated how long people have to submit their direct deposit information into Get My Payment before they’re sent a paper check instead.
Get My Payment also lets you track the status of your payment and see what type of payment you’ll receive. It’s designed to work on a desktop, phone or tablet, and you don’t need to download it from an app store. To track your payment, you’ll need to provide your name, mailing address and Social Security number. The IRS says the app’s data is updated once a day.
Be careful when entering your information — you can’t change your bank account info after a payment has been scheduled to be delivered, the Treasury Department said in a press release. It’s also wise to be on the lookout for any suspicious emails, calls or texts seeking your personal info, as it’s likely that scammers will try to take advantage of the stimulus check system to steal people’s personal information.
Why does the IRS app say “Payment Status Not Available?”
In an April 15 statement, the IRS said there are multiple scenarios that may cause the Get My Payment app to say your “payment status is not available.” If you’re not eligible for a payment or if you still have to file taxes for 2018 or 2019, your status may not show up. If you recently filed a tax return or provided your information through the portal for people who don’t usually file, it also might not show up. (More on that portal below.) The IRS says your payment status will be updated when it finishes processing your information. The app’s data is updated once a day.
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