The IRS set up a page to check the status of your stimulus check – here’s how to use it

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The stimulus checks from the U.S. government have started trickling down to your bank accounts as part of the $2 trillion dollar economic relief package created as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. That package is called the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), and it means that the majority of Americans should be getting $1,200, if not more.

Anyone who filed their taxes and gave direct deposit details will get their government cheddar sent to that bank account, so go check to see if it’s there yet. Some will receive their checks by mail, with those likely delivered by USPS.

The thing is, the disbursement of the cash isn’t happening all at once. Some people already have their payments, while others are scratching their heads and wondering why their bank account is barren.

Here’s a quick guide to understanding what is going on and how to check the status of your stimulus check.

If you’ve not recieved your check yet, here’s how to check on its progress

1. Head on over to the IRS.gov website
2. Click on Get My Payment near the top right
   

   Image: IRS

3. You can also go directly to the hub set up to check your stimulus check progress
4. Click on Get My Payment
   

   Image: IRS

5. Agree to the warning about unauthorized use
6. Enter your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), Date of Birth, Street Address and Zip Code and hit Continue
   

   Image: IRS

7. If your payment is already scheduled, you’ll get a confirmation like this one
   

   Image: IRS

8. If your payment isn’t already scheduled, the confirmation page will tell you what information you still need to give to the IRS
9. If you didn’t file a tax return for 2018 or 2019, head to the page for non-filers and enter your information so the IRS knows enough to send you a check

If you get the message “Status Not Available “when you check your status through the Get My Payment tool, it could be one of several reasons

• If you are not eligible for a payment
• If you are required to file a tax return and have not filed in tax year 2018 or 2019.
• If you recently filed your return or provided information through Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info on IRS.gov. Your payment status will be updated when processing is completed.
• If you are an SSA or RRB Form 1099 recipient, SSI or VA benefit recipient – the IRS is working with your agency to issue your payment; your information is not available in this app yet.

With the IRS saying that as of mid-day April 15, “more than 6.2 million taxpayers have successfully received their payment status,” and “almost 1.1 million taxpayers have successfully provided banking information,” that also means that you’re not the only one if you haven’t seen your payment yet.

Our advice? Keep checking the IRS website daily so you can add any additional information that they might want. After all, it’s your money.

What do you think? Have you received your stimulus check already? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.