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Payment status 'not available' on IRS tracker? Sorry, your stimulus check isn't coming

Have you seen 'Payment Status #2 - Not Available' when tracking your stimulus check? You're not alone! Here's what that means for the timeline to get your $600.

WASHINGTON — The IRS on Monday launched its 'Get My Payment' portal so everyone can track the status of their second coronavirus stimulus payment.

Many Americans had already received their $600 payment by direct deposit before the tracker went online — but many had not and still have not.

You can visit the stimulus payment tracker page here to check the status of your payment. You will need to enter your Social Security Number, date of birth and street address to find out the status. 

If you're still waiting, there's a chance it'll still be mailed to you, but you also may need to wait until you file your taxes to get your stimulus money. Here's why:

Didn't receive a direct deposit

The IRS said there could be a variety of reasons someone might not have received a second stimulus check yet. It includes the following:

If you checked the Get My Payment tool on or after January 5 then:

  • If the online tool reflects a direct deposit date and partial account information, then your payment is deposited there.
  • If it shows a date your payment was mailed, it may take up to 3 – 4 weeks for you to receive the payment. Watch your mail carefully for a check or debit card. Don't throw the debit card out by mistake! 
  • If the online tool shows "Payment Status #2 – Not Available," then you will not receive a second Economic Impact Payment in the mail or by direct deposit and instead you need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 Tax Return, according to the IRS. 

'Payment Status #2 - Not Available' message 

The IRS tool could show a "Payment Status #2 – Not Available" message when you're trying to track your second coronavirus stimulus check. So, what does it mean? 

The IRS said that anyone who sees this message will not receive a second Economic Impact Payment by mail or direct deposit and instead needs to "claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 Tax Return."

That's because the stimulus package that included the $600 checks gave the IRS a Jan. 15 deadline to make stimulus payments through direct deposit, paper checks and debit cards. 

Because of the speed at which the law required the IRS to issue the second round of Economic Impact Payments, some payments may have been sent to an account that may be closed or, is or no longer active, or unfamiliar.

By law, the financial institution must return the payment to the IRS; they cannot hold and issue the payment to an individual when the account is no longer active. 

If the IRS tracker shows "Payment Status #2 – Not Available" you will not receive a second economic impact payment at this time.

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The IRS advises people that if they don't receive their Economic Impact Payment, they should file their 2020 tax return electronically and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax return to get their payment and any refund as quickly as possible.

Credit: WFMY

Recovery Rebate Credit 

The IRS explains that if someone has not received a full stimulus payment by the time they file their 2020 tax return, they can claim the "recovery rebate credit" on their tax return. 

"The credit is figured like the Economic Impact Payment, except that the credit eligibility and the credit amount are based on the 2020 tax year information, including income," according to the IRS.

For anyone who only received a partial economic impact payment, they can take the recovery rebate credit for any remaining amount they’re eligible for by completing line 30 of the 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. 

Payment was lower than it should have been OR why did I not get extra money for having a dependent / child?

Remember, the IRS is basing your income off your 2019 tax filings. New parents will not receive a check for their newest member of the family because the stimulus checks are based on 2019 tax filings. However, these parents will be able to receive this money eventually, when they file their 2020 tax return.  

The second round of stimulus checks will be for $600 this time around for a qualifying individual. That is half of what they received in the first round of stimulus checks. A couple filing jointly would be eligible for $1,200, assuming their income qualifies. 

CALCULATOR: Here is a tool from Omni Calculator that may help you determine how much you might receive

A couple or individual can also collect an additional $600 for each dependent under the age of 17. 

Just as with the first round of stimulus checks, there are income requirements. An individual must have made less than $75,000 on their 2019 tax filings, in order to receive the full $600 check. For additional income, the check starts to phase out, hitting zero at $87,000. 

Meanwhile couples will receive the full $1,200 check if they made less than $150,000 on their 2019 tax filings. This check will phase out above that income level, hitting zero at $174,000. 

More IRS Stimulus Check information:

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