Stimulus check tracking site goes live in bid to speed emergency payments

Author: CBS News
Published: Updated:
student loans
FILE- In this June 15, 2018, file photo, twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass. Default on your federal student loans and the government can take up to 15 percent of each paycheck to satisfy your debt. The Education Department can also withhold federal benefits like tax returns and Social Security payments. Garnishment is an effective tool to recoup unpaid loans, private collection agencies enlisted by the Education Department took in over $841.6 million via wage garnishment in the 2018 fiscal year, but it inflicts serious financial strain on borrowers who are already struggling. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

With millions of Americans eagerly awaiting their federal stimulus checks to help them weather the coronavirus recession, people will soon be able to find out when they can expect to get their money after the government on Wednesday launches a tracking tool called “Get My Payment.”

The first batch of stimulus checks — or “economic impact payments,” as they are officially known — started hitting consumers’ bank accounts on Saturday, the Internal Revenue Service has said. But millions of people remain unsure of when the payments will arrive because it depends on whether the IRS has your direct-deposit information and your income level. Consumers can also update their mailing addresses if they’ve moved since they last filed their tax returns.

The “Get My Payment” service went live at IRS.gov Wednesday morning. It will let consumers check their payment status, confirm whether they prefer direct deposit or a paper check and enter their bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn’t have it yet.

“We expect over 80 million hard-working Americans will get the direct deposit by this Wednesday,” Mnuchin said.

While a section labeled “Get Your Payment” is already visible on the IRS.gov website, the link isn’t live yet. The tax agency says it will become active in “mid-April.”

How much you’ll get
Adults with income below $75,000 are due to receive $1,200 each, while married couples earning less than $150,000 will receive $2,400.

Roughly 9 in 10 American households will get a stimulus check, which is to help people stay afloat financially during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. But certain factors could affect how much you get, as well as how fast you receive payment.

For one, single Americans who earn over $75,000 or married couples who earn above $150,000 will see their payments decline by $5 for every $100 over those amounts, until the payments phase out entirely at $99,000 and $198,000 for singles and couples, respectively.

Families with children under 17 years old will receive $500 per child — a calculation that leaves out many high school seniors. And adults who can be claimed as dependents, such as many college students, also won’t receive a stimulus check. Nonresident aliens, or those without a green card, are also excluded from the payments.

First published on April 14, 2020 / 12:22 PM

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