Stimulus news and tips

If you’ve had trouble accessing the Get My Payment tool to check on the status of your coronavirus stimulus payment, you may want to try again.

The IRS announced it had made “significant enhancements” to the web portal, which first went live on April 15.

The changes are aimed at creating what the IRS said would be an improved and smoother experience.  The adjustments should make it easier to check on status of your payment and add direct deposit information.

The IRS was not specific about what adjustments were made.  Some individuals have reported difficulty in accessing and inputting their information on the site.

“These further enhancements will help even more taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a statement.  “We urge people who haven’t received a payment date yet to visit Get My Payment again for the latest information.

If you plan to recheck the Get My Payment tool, you’ll need to act fast.  Once your stimulus payment is scheduled for mail delivery, it will be too late to update your online information.”

Since the web portal went live on April 15, some people reported having difficulty with the site, either by receiving an error message or the inability to add direct deposit information. 

If you are having problems with the IRS portal there are several things that you should try:

  • Always be sure you start with the website IRS.gov
  • Enter your address in all caps.
  • Enter your information exactly as it on your 2018 or 2019 return.
  • Try entering your address into the USPS site and copy that directly into the address field in the IRS portal.
  • Try entering your social security number with dashes in between like 123-45-6789.
  • Try using a different browser.
  • Try using STREET instead of ST.

The IRS launched a separate place for non-filers to enter in their information.  The online tool Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here will enable non-filers to receive their stimulus.

Last week, the government announced that Supplemental Security Income and Veterans Administration beneficiaries have until May 5 to add information on qualifying dependents into that portal.  Children under 17 are generally eligible for stimulus money.

The IRS is urging homeless and low-income Americans to use the non-filer tool to ensure they get their economic stimulus payments.

The amount of stimulus you receive will be based on the income you reported on your most recently filed tax return (2018 or 2019).

Adjustments for stimulus will be made on 2020 tax returns.  People who qualify for more stimulus than they have received will get a larger refund on their 2020 tax return.

Anyone who has a child in 2020 and claims them as a dependent will receive an additional $500 on their 2020 tax return since it wasn’t received as part of their stimulus payment.

David Zubler is a tax accountant and Enrolled Agent representing clients before the IRS with over 25 years of tax experience. He is the author of four books  and is the founder and president of Your Tax Care. The company provides business and tax education to the public at its website, yourtaxcare.com. David can also be contacted by email at zublerdavid@gmail.com