Where to check the status of your stimulus payment

The IRS has a tool called Where's My Payment? that shows you the status of any stimulus payment sent to you. You reach it at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. The tool tells you whether the payment has been mailed, deposited to your bank account, or is still being processed.

To use it, you need your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight. If you check it and see a status, that is the most current information the IRS has about your payment.

The tool covers all three rounds of stimulus payments: the 2020 payments, the 2021 payments, and the 2021 child tax credit advance payments. If you are looking for a payment from a specific year, the tool will show you the status of each one separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Use the IRS Where's My Payment tool at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment to see whether your stimulus payment was deposited, mailed, or is still processing.
  • The tool updates once per day and shows the delivery method (direct deposit or check) and the date the payment was sent.
  • If the tool says your payment was mailed as a check, allow 7 to 10 business days from the mailing date before assuming it is lost.
  • If you never received a payment you were may have access to to, you can claim it on your next tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit.
  • Contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 only if the tool shows an error in your address or bank account information.

What each status message means

Payment Status Not Available means the IRS has not yet processed your information. This usually happens if you filed your tax return late or if the IRS is still reviewing your return. Check back in a few days.

Payment Scheduled means the IRS has approved your payment and has a date set to send it. The tool will show you whether it will be deposited to your bank account or mailed as a check, and the date it will be sent.

Payment Sent means the payment has left the IRS. If it was a direct deposit, it should arrive in your bank account within one to three business days of the date shown. If it was mailed as a check, allow 7 to 10 business days from the mailing date.

Payment Received appears only if you are checking the status of a payment that was already sent to you in a previous year. This is a confirmation that the payment was processed, not a current status.

How long stimulus payments take to arrive

The speed depends on how the IRS sent your payment. Direct deposit is the fastest: the money usually lands in your bank account one to three business days after the IRS sends it. Mailed checks take longer because they travel through the postal service. The IRS typically allows 7 to 10 business days for a check to arrive after it is mailed, though some take longer depending on where you live and mail volume.

If the Where's My Payment tool shows your payment was mailed but you have not received it after 10 business days, the check may have been lost in the mail. Do not assume it is lost before that window closes, because postal delays happen regularly.

Payments sent to a prepaid debit card or a tax preparation company's temporary account can take longer than direct deposit to a personal bank account. If you used a tax preparer's bank account to receive your refund, the payment may go to that account first before being forwarded to you.

What to do if the Where's My Payment tool shows an error

If the tool displays the wrong address, the wrong bank account, or says no payment was sent when you believe you should have received one, you need to contact the IRS directly. Call 800-829-1040 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time). Have your Social Security number, date of birth, and the address on file with the IRS ready when you call.

The IRS phone lines are often busy, especially during tax season. If you cannot reach someone, you can also file a form called the Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund, which tells the IRS that you did not receive a payment you were may have access to to. Mail it to the IRS address for your state, which you can find on irs.gov.

Do not assume the tool is wrong based on when you think you should have received the payment. The tool shows when the IRS sent it, not when it arrived. A check mailed on a Friday may not arrive until the following week.

If your check was lost or stolen

If the Where's My Payment tool shows your stimulus payment was mailed as a check more than 10 business days ago and you still have not received it, the check may have been lost or stolen. First, check with your bank to see if the check was deposited under a different account or if there is any record of it.

If your bank has no record of it, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and tell them the check never arrived. The IRS can issue a replacement check, though this takes additional time. You will need to provide your Social Security number and the address where the check was supposed to be mailed.

If you believe the check was stolen and cashed by someone else, report it to your local police and to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at postalinspectors.uspis.gov. Keep a copy of the police report and the postal inspection report to send to the IRS when you request a replacement.

Claiming a stimulus payment you never received on your tax return

If you were may have access to to a stimulus payment but never received it, you can claim it on your next tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit. This applies to any of the three rounds of stimulus payments if you did not receive them.

To claim the credit, you file your tax return and report the amount you should have received. The IRS will compare what you claim to what they have on record. If the records match and you did not receive the payment, the IRS will send you the money as part of your tax refund or as a separate payment.

You do not need to wait until the next tax year to claim it. If you are due a refund this year and you did not receive a stimulus payment you were may have access to to, you can file your return now and claim the credit. The IRS will add the stimulus amount to your refund.

Why the Where's My Payment tool might not show your payment

The tool only shows payments the IRS has processed. If you filed your tax return late or if the IRS is still reviewing your return, the tool may say "Payment Status Not Available" even though you will eventually receive a payment. This is normal and does not mean you will not get the money.

If you did not file a tax return and did not register with the IRS using the Non-Filer tool during the stimulus period, the IRS may not have your information on file. In this case, the tool will not show a payment. You can still claim the stimulus money on your next tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

The tool also does not show payments sent to dependents or to people who were claimed as dependents on someone else's return. If you are looking for a payment for a dependent child, check the parent's or guardian's tax return to see if the child tax credit advance was included.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the Where's My Payment tool update?

The tool updates once per day, usually overnight. If you check it multiple times in one day, you will see the same status. Check back the next day if the status has not changed and you are waiting for an update.

Can I call the IRS to ask about my stimulus payment?

Yes, but only if the Where's My Payment tool shows an error or if you believe you should have received a payment that the tool does not show. Call 800-829-1040 during business hours. Have your Social Security number and date of birth ready. The phone lines are often busy, so try calling early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

What if my stimulus check arrived but it was damaged or torn?

If the check is still readable and has not been cashed, deposit it normally at your bank. If the check is too damaged to deposit, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 and request a replacement. Bring the damaged check with you if you go to a bank branch, or mail it to the IRS with a letter explaining what happened.

Do I need to report stimulus payments as income on my tax return?

No. Stimulus payments are not taxable income and do not need to be reported on your tax return. You will not receive a 1099 form for them, and they do not affect your tax liability.

What if I moved after I applied for the stimulus payment?

If the Where's My Payment tool shows your payment was mailed to an old address, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to update your address. The IRS can issue a replacement check to your new address. If the check was already mailed to your old address, contact the current resident or the postal service to see if they can forward it to you.