How to Track Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check or Direct Deposit

The first coronavirus stimulus checks are hitting bank accounts this week.

That means many people who have direct deposit are waking up to find an extra $1,200 in their bank accounts if they’re single or $2,400 if they’re married, plus a $500 coronavirus credit for each dependent child 16 or younger.

But what if your coronavirus check hasn’t arrived? There’s a new way to find out when it’s coming.

Where’s My Coronavirus Check?

The IRS released the Get My Payment application on its website Wednesday, April 15. You can use it on your computer, phone or tablet.

Here’s all of our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak, which we will be updating every day.

Click on the link, and then click the blue “Get My Payment” button. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait a couple minutes to get through. This corner of IRS.gov is getting a lot of traffic right now, because people really want to know when they’re getting their coronavirus checks. When you do get through, you’ll get a warning that the system is for authorized use only. Click “OK.”

Next you’ll need to enter your Social Security number or Individual Tax ID number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code. 

Once you submit your information, the website will tell you the date your payment is scheduled to be made and whether it will be by check or direct deposit. If it’s scheduled for direct deposit, it will tell you the last four numbers of the bank account it will be deposited into.

You can also use the tool to provide your bank account and routing numbers. If the IRS can pay you via direct deposit, you’ll get  your payment faster. The first paper checks aren’t expected to be mailed until late April and will go to the lowest-income recipients first.

What if Something Is Wrong With My Payment?

What if you haven’t gotten the payment that should have been deposited already? Or what if your payment isn’t scheduled, or the wrong amount has been deposited?

These are all good questions — and we’re still waiting on the IRS to tell us what to do in these situations. 

The only guidance from the IRS is: If your payment should have been credited to your account already but hasn’t been, you should check with your bank to see if it received it.

But beyond that, the IRS just directs you to its FAQ page, which hasn’t yet addressed the process for those who don’t receive their payments or receive incorrect amounts. We’ll update this post when we receive more information.

Meanwhile, here are a few of our basic tips:

• If you haven’t filed a 2018 or 2019 return and are required to, you’ll want to do that ASAP to get your payment. You shouldn’t need to take action if you’ve filed a return in 2018 or 2019. 
• If you receive Social Security, you don’t need to file a return to get your payment — but in a couple of scenarios, you might want to do so anyway.
• People who weren’t required to file taxes in 2018 or 2019 and don’t get Social Security will need to provide a few pieces of basic information using a new non-filer coronavirus payments tool on the IRS website.

Your coronavirus stimulus check is not taxable — so however you plan to spend that money, just know that you don’t need to save any of it for Uncle Sam.

If you have questions about stimulus payments, check out our coronavirus relief check FAQ. Submit new questions to DearPenny@thepennyhoarder.com.

Robin Hartill is a senior editor at The Penny Hoarder and a certified financial planner. She writes the Dear Penny personal finance advice column.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.