WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — About 130 million stimulus payments of up to $1,200 per individual have gone out in the past four weeks. That may sound like a lot, but it also means more than half of those entitled to a payment haven't received anything.
And for many, like Rob Straswich, finding out why, has been nearly impossible, “You can log into the check your payment icon and it gives me a message ‘payment status not available,” he said.
Others, like Chris Carson, can’t even access the IRS website. "I logged in a couple of times and it locked me out for 24 hours,” said Carson.
Certified Public Accountant Scott Kapowich, who’s received calls from numerous clients about their problems with checks says, "There really is no one to answer the questions."
3News, however, has some answers on all of the delays and “missing” checks.
1. If you owe child support or are delinquent with other debts, like student loans, your checks can be seized.
“My strong advice to people is to keep very close track of what's coming in to their account. And, if that's an account that's had a previous attachment on it, immediately move that money to a different account,” says Consumer Attorney Marc Dann.
2. Taxpayers who didn't file in 2018 and 2019 might also be waiting, because the information on those returns is the only way the government can calculate the amount of money you should get. So, if you haven’t filed you need to do it as soon as possible to get a check.
3. People who aren’t required to pay taxes may not get checks either, because the IRS doesn’t have any information about them.
Those are usually individuals making less than $12,000 a year, receiving Supplemental Security Income or Veteran’s Benefits. They’re still eligible, but they need to go to IRS.gov www.irs.gov, look for the “Non-Filers section and fill out their information.
Regular Social Security recipients don't need to do anything. The IRS will get their information from the Social Security Administration. The only exception is for people claimed by someone as a dependent, like the elderly or disabled, or you are a student 17 years old or older.
4. Now, if you just signed up for direct deposit to get your stimulus check, there may be a delay because of discrepancies between the data you entered into the IRS website and previous tax returns.
It could be as simple as your income amounts don't match or you've typed in the letter ‘E’ for East instead of spelling it out. If you’ve moved or changed banks since you last filed, you need to make sure that’s updated as well.
You can go to the “Get My Payment” link on the IRS website to check or change your information. But be aware, the last day to request direct deposit for your stimulus check is Wednesday, May 13.
4. Finally, for those expecting paper checks, the more you make, the more you'll wait.
For example, if Gross Adjusted Income is between $60,000 and $70,000 dollars, you probably won't see a check until the first week in June. If you're a joint filer with a GAI between $130,000 and $140,000 thousand dollars, we're talking late July.
"It's definitely getting frustrating and as each day goes by it gets more stressful," says Jessa Lewis, a self-employed, single mom who’s still waiting for unemployment benefits and her stimulus check.