he Internal Revenue Service (IRS), along with the Treasury Department, has launched an online web tool that will let taxpayers check on the status of their stimulus checks during the coronavirus pandemic.
The web tool, Get My Payment, provides the projected date that a taxpayer can expect to see their stimulus check arrive as well as allow for the input of updated direct deposit information if needed. The Get My Payments tool shows when a deposit is scheduled to arrive, complimenting the agency's Where's My Refund tool that is used to track tax refunds.
"Get My Payment will offer people with a quick and easy way to find the status of their payment and, where possible, provide their bank account information if we don't already have it," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, said in a statement.
Through the Get My Payment tool, taxpayers can provide their banking information if they did not use direct deposit on their last income tax return. This will allow for stimulus payments to be direct deposited into accounts quicker than receiving a check by mail.
The Get My Payment option is available on the IRS website, which the agency said is safe and secure. Information needed to fill out the online application to check stimulus payment status includes; social security number, date of birth, and mailing address on the last tax return filed.
To add bank account information for direct deposit of the stimulus payment, taxpayers will need their adjusted gross income from their most recent tax return submitted in 2018 or 2019, the refund or amount owed on their latest tax return, and bank account information, including account and routing number.
If a taxpayer's stimulus check has been scheduled for delivery, the Get My Payments tool will not be able to update bank account information. Once bank account information is added, it cannot be changed to prevent fraud, the IRS said.
The Get My Payments tool is updated daily, overnight. The IRS suggests only checking the status of a stimulus payment once a day due to the high volume of people expecting Economic Impact Payments.
Qualifying taxpayers that filed a tax return in 2018, or 2019, will receive an Economic Impact Payment automatically. Stimulus payments are $1,200 for eligible individuals and $2,400 for married filers with $500 for each eligible child.
A Spanish version of the web tool is expected to be launched in a few weeks, the IRS said.