How to find your stimulus payment status right now

The fastest way to find your stimulus payment is the IRS Get My Payment tool at irs.gov/payments. Enter your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address exactly as they appear on your tax return. The tool tells you whether the payment was mailed, sent by direct deposit, or is still processing — and if it was mailed, the date it left the IRS.

If you received a stimulus payment in 2020 or 2021, you can also check your tax records. The IRS sent three rounds of payments: the first in spring 2020 (up to $1,200 per person), the second in December 2020 and January 2021 (up to $600 per person), and the third in March 2021 (up to $1,400 per person). Your tax return for that year will show whether you received the full amount or if part of it was held back to cover a debt.

If you are looking for a payment from 2022 or later, or if you received a settlement payment rather than a stimulus payment, the tracking method depends on the specific program. The sections below cover the main scenarios.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS Get My Payment tool at irs.gov/payments shows the status and delivery method of any stimulus payment sent between 2020 and 2021.
  • Direct deposit payments typically arrived within one to two weeks of the IRS processing date, while mailed checks took three to four weeks or longer depending on postal delays.
  • If your payment was mailed and you never received it, you can request a replacement check or have the IRS issue a payment by direct deposit instead.
  • Payments held back to cover taxes owed, child support, or other debts will not show in the Get My Payment tool — you will need to contact the IRS or the agency holding the funds.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you can claim it on your next tax return or contact the IRS directly.

What to do if your direct deposit payment never arrived

Direct deposit stimulus payments were processed in batches starting in mid-March 2020 for the first round, mid-December 2020 for the second round, and mid-March 2021 for the third round. Once the IRS sent the payment to your bank, it typically arrived within one to two business days. If the Get My Payment tool says your payment was sent by direct deposit but you do not see it in your account, the money may have been returned to the IRS.

This happens most often when the bank account information on your tax return was closed, incorrect, or belonged to a different person. Contact your bank first and ask whether they received and rejected a deposit from the IRS during the payment window. If they did, ask them to provide the rejection code and the date it was returned. Then contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and provide this information. The IRS can reissue the payment by mail or, if you provide a new bank account, by direct deposit.

If your bank has no record of a rejected deposit, the payment may still be in processing. The Get My Payment tool updates once per day, usually overnight. Check again the next morning. If the status still shows direct deposit but you have not received the money after five business days, call the IRS.

Tracking a mailed check and what to do if it is lost

Stimulus checks were mailed in waves throughout 2020 and 2021. The Get My Payment tool shows the date the check was mailed, but not a tracking number — the IRS does not use certified mail for stimulus payments. A check mailed in spring 2020 typically arrived within three to four weeks, but delays were common, especially in summer and fall 2020 when postal volume was high. Checks mailed in late 2020 or 2021 generally arrived faster, often within two to three weeks.

If the Get My Payment tool shows your check was mailed more than four weeks ago and you still have not received it, the check may be lost in the mail. Do not cash it if it arrives later — the IRS will have already issued a replacement. To request a replacement, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or use the Get My Payment tool to request that the IRS send the payment by direct deposit instead. Processing a replacement check takes four to six weeks.

If you received a check but it was damaged, unsigned, or made out to the wrong name, contact the IRS before depositing it. The IRS can issue a corrected check. Do not attempt to cash a check with errors — banks will reject it.

Payments held back for taxes owed, child support, or other debts

If you owed back taxes, child support, or had other debts reported to the federal government, part or all of your stimulus payment may have been held back. The Get My Payment tool does not show this — it only tracks payments the IRS actually sent. To find out whether your payment was offset, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and ask whether your stimulus payment was applied to a tax debt.

If your payment was held for child support or other non-tax debt, the agency holding the funds will contact you directly. This can take several weeks after the payment date. You can also contact the agency yourself: for child support, call your state's child support enforcement office; for federal student loans, contact your loan servicer or the Department of Education at 1-800-621-3115; for other federal debts, contact the Treasury Offset Program at 1-800-304-3107.

If you believe the offset was made in error — for example, the debt was paid off or does not belong to you — you can dispute it. Each agency has its own process. Start by requesting a hearing or review with the agency that reported the debt.

If you did not receive a payment you think you were owed

You may not have received a stimulus payment if you did not file a tax return for the year the payment was issued, if your income was above the income limit, or if you were claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. The income limits were $75,000 for single filers, $112,500 for heads of household, and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2020 and 2021. These limits were higher in 2021 for the third payment.

If you believe you were owed a payment but did not receive it, you can claim it on your next tax return. When you file, the IRS will compare what you should have received to what you actually got, and issue a refund for the difference. This is called the Recovery Rebate Credit. You do not need to do anything special — your tax software or tax preparer will handle it automatically if you are owed money.

If you did not file a tax return for the year you were owed a payment, you may still be able to claim it. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to find out whether you should file a return for that year.

Stimulus payments for dependents and non-filers

In 2020 and 2021, the IRS sent payments for dependent children and other dependents claimed on tax returns. The amount per dependent was the same as per adult: $1,200 in 2020, $600 in 2020-2021, and $1,400 in 2021. If you claimed a dependent but did not receive a payment for them, the money may have been included in your own payment or held back for a debt.

People who did not file tax returns in 2019 or 2020 could register for a payment using the Non-Filer Sign-Up tool on irs.gov. This tool is no longer active, but if you registered then and did not receive a payment, you can claim it on a tax return now. The process is the same as for anyone else who did not receive a payment they were owed.

What happens if your stimulus payment was sent to the wrong address

If you moved between the time you filed your tax return and the time the IRS mailed your stimulus check, the check may have been sent to your old address. The post office will not forward stimulus checks — they are not marked for forwarding. If you know the check was sent to an old address, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and request a replacement by direct deposit or to your current address.

If someone else received your check at your old address and cashed it, you will need to file a police report and contact the IRS. The IRS can investigate and may issue a replacement payment, but this process takes several months. In the meantime, you can claim the payment on your next tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a replacement stimulus check?

A replacement check typically takes four to six weeks from the date you request it. If you request direct deposit instead, the payment may arrive within one to two weeks. You can check the status of a replacement using the Get My Payment tool after you request it.

Can I get my stimulus payment by direct deposit if it was originally mailed?

Yes. Use the Get My Payment tool or call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to request that your replacement payment be sent by direct deposit instead of by mail. You will need to provide a valid bank account number and routing number.

What if the Get My Payment tool says my payment was sent but I have no record of it?

Check with your bank first to see whether they received and rejected the deposit. If not, wait one more business day and check the tool again — it updates once per day. If the status still shows sent after five business days, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Do I have to pay taxes on my stimulus payment?

No. Stimulus payments are not taxable income and you do not report them on your tax return. However, if you did not receive the full amount you were owed, you claim the difference using the Recovery Rebate Credit when you file.

Can I still claim a stimulus payment I never received if it has been more than a year?

Yes. You can claim any stimulus payment you did not receive using the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return for the year it was issued. There is no time limit, but you must file a return to claim it.