$600 stimulus deadline spells delays for some Americans
If you’re still waiting for your $600 stimulus payment, here’s all you need to know about this deadline, what it means if the IRS doesn’t disburse your funds in time, and how you can claim funds even if you don’t get your payment by January 15th, 2021.
What happens on the stimulus deadline: January 15th, 2021?
On January 15th, 2021 the IRS and Treasury department will stop sending pandemic relief payments to Americans.
While some are receiving their payments successfully, others are left impatiently waiting for funds to arrive. Even more distressing for Americans who haven’t received their relief payment yet is that, if the IRS and Treasury departments do not successfully disburse their funds by the set deadline, they’ll have to take alternative means to claim their $600 payment.
What if I don’t get my payment by the deadline?
If the IRS cannot disburse funds successfully to you by January 15th, 2021, those funds will still be available to claim, just not as a direct deposit payment, card or check. Instead, eligible citizens who didn’t get money disbursed in time will have to claim the $600 payment as a tax credit called the Recovery Rebate Credit in order to receive their money.
Americans who didn’t qualify to file taxes this year, but qualified to receive a stimulus payment will still have to file a return and claim a tax credit in order to receive their funds.
How do I check if the IRS has sent my payment?
If you’re not sure if your payment was sent or not, use the IRS’s “Get My Payment’ tool to look up the status of your payment and troubleshoot any issues. You will have to submit personal information on this site in order to receive information including your:
- Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
- Date of birth
- Full address, including your ZIP code.
Be sure to gather any documents you may need to reference in order to complete this form accurately to avoid any errors or issues with your Get My Payment request.
Why is there a stimulus deadline?
Lawmakers who created the second stimulus bill included the deadline of January 15th. While their reasoning for including this deadline wasn’t made explicit, it’s been speculated that lawmakers intentionally set the deadline near to the beginning of tax season so those who didn't get their payment on time could claim a rebate in their upcoming 2020 tax filing instead of having to wait until the end of 2021 to claim their stimulus payment.
What is the Recovery Rebate Credit?
While lawmakers may have originally thought that asking some Americans to claim their stimulus payment in their tax returns was a more reliable way to offer stimulus money to people who ran into common payment delivery issues like:
- Checks/cards lost or stolen
- Checks/cards sent to outdated addresses
- Direct payments sent to closed bank accounts.
Others feel that this process creates even more delays between Americans and their stimulus payments, as Americans who don’t receive their checks will already have to wait to know whether their payment was sent, then file a 2020 tax return and wait for their return money to be deposited after filing, which can take weeks in some cases.
Is the Recovery Rebate Credit helpful or a hassle? Share your thoughts below.
Comments
My check was sent on the 6th but I still haven't received it yet nor have I received a receipt saying if it was taken by a private party. So how can I find out what happened to my money
A hassle, and it delays the stimulus payment
I am disgusted with the government and the irs for giving the stimulus checks to people that already have an stable income and that is bull shit and and our world is so fuckin messed up with stupid people that have know business working in the white house
The checks that were scheduled to go out early January were sent hurriedly to your tax services (HR Block, Jackson Hewitt, Liberty Tax Services, etc.), to closed bank accounts. Why the IRS they chose to do that, I don't know????
I didn't finded untiil now what i have to do
Can the IRS take your stimulus check if you owe money?
If our check was sent out on the 6th and we still haven't received it who can we contact. Obviously there has to be a glitch or error of some sort. As there are too many of us who have been told it was mailed on the 6th and still haven't received our check. The IRS should correct the issue or explain the problem. But there is no way to contact them and let them know of about this issue. going to cluealk contact our congresswoman man a can figure out what happe
I didn't get the 1 stimulus check no 2 stimulus check no one to talk to about the problem I haven't even gotten my refund IRS said they received my return and they are processing the refund it's January no Edd my claim expired in October and ID me is a joke anyone have any thing to help me out .....
Maybe those of us who have been outspoken about certain government leaders aren't getting one! Oh well, There you are!
Well no one said that they could or would take the 2nd stimulus from my recovery rebate for school loans or court fines even though they said everyone would receive it. They took my first for child support and i didn't mind but now my disability has stopped me from working and need basic care but they took it without warning so i was worried about living expenses. How's that help?