How to learn about your payment was sent and where it is now

The IRS has a tool called Get My Payment that tells you the status of any economic impact payment issued to you. You can access it on the IRS website by entering your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address. The tool shows whether the payment was mailed as a check, sent by direct deposit, or issued on a debit card — and if it was mailed, the approximate date it left the IRS.

If Get My Payment says your payment was sent but you never received it, the next step depends on how it was supposed to arrive. Direct deposit payments that don't show up in your account within five business days of the IRS sending them usually indicate a problem with your bank account information on file. Mailed checks can take two to three weeks to arrive, and some take longer if they were sent to an old address.

The IRS issued economic impact payments in three rounds: the first in spring 2020, the second in winter 2020–2021, and the third in spring 2021. If you're looking for a payment from more than two years ago, the IRS may no longer have active information about it in Get My Payment, but you can still file a claim.

Key Takeaways

  • Get My Payment on the IRS website shows the status and delivery method of your payment, updated in real time as the IRS processes and sends checks.
  • Direct deposit payments should arrive within five business days of the IRS sending them; if they don't, contact your bank to verify the account number on file with the IRS was correct.
  • Mailed checks take two to three weeks on average but can take longer if sent to an address the IRS had on record that was not current.
  • If your payment was lost, stolen, or never arrived, you can claim it on your tax return or request a replacement check from the IRS.
  • Payments issued on debit cards can be tracked through the card issuer's customer service line, which is printed on the back of the card.

What Get My Payment tells you and what it doesn't

Get My Payment shows four possible statuses: "Payment Status Not Available," "Payment Pending," "Payment Sent," or "Payment Scheduled." If it says "Payment Status Not Available," the IRS has no record of a payment issued to you under that Social Security number. This usually means you were not sent a payment in that round, though it can also mean the IRS is still processing your information.

"Payment Pending" means the IRS has your information but has not yet processed the payment. "Payment Sent" means the payment has left the IRS — either mailed as a check, sent by direct deposit, or loaded onto a debit card. "Payment Scheduled" means the IRS has scheduled the payment to be sent on a specific date, which the tool will show you.

Get My Payment does not tell you whether a mailed check has been delivered to your mailbox or whether a direct deposit has actually landed in your bank account. It only tells you what the IRS did on its end. Once a check is mailed, the Postal Service handles it, and once direct deposit is sent to your bank, your bank handles it.

Direct deposit payments that never arrived

If Get My Payment says your payment was sent by direct deposit but you don't see it in your account, call your bank first. Ask them to confirm the account number and routing number they have on file for you. The IRS sent direct deposits to the account information you provided on your most recent tax return. If you closed that account, changed banks, or updated your account number since filing, the payment may have been rejected by your bank and returned to the IRS.

Your bank can tell you whether the deposit arrived and was rejected, or whether it never arrived at all. If it was rejected, the IRS will usually reissue it as a mailed check, which can take several weeks. If your bank has no record of the deposit attempt, contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 to report it.

Direct deposit payments sent in 2020 and early 2021 should have arrived within five business days of the IRS sending them. If more than a week has passed since Get My Payment said the payment was sent, and your bank confirms it never arrived, the payment is likely lost in the banking system and you will need to claim it on your tax return or request a replacement.

Mailed checks that were lost or never arrived

Checks take longer than direct deposits. The IRS mails them in batches, and the Postal Service typically delivers them within two to three weeks, though some take longer. If Get My Payment says your check was mailed more than four weeks ago and you still haven't received it, the check may have been lost in the mail or sent to an old address.

Check the address shown in Get My Payment. If it's not the address where you live now, that's where your check went. You can file a claim with the IRS for a replacement check, or you can claim the payment on your tax return. If you want to claim it on your return, you'll need to wait until the next tax filing season and report the payment amount on your return — the IRS will match it against their records and adjust your refund or tax bill accordingly.

If the address in Get My Payment is correct but you still haven't received the check, file a claim with the IRS. You can do this by calling 800-829-1040 or by mailing Form 3911, process for Taxpayer information Order, to the IRS address for your state. The IRS will issue a replacement check, which takes four to six weeks.

Debit card payments and how to track them

Some economic impact payments were issued on prepaid debit cards. If Get My Payment says your payment was sent by card, look for the card in your mail — it may arrive separately from any letter from the IRS. The card issuer's name and customer service number are printed on the back of the card.

Call that number to check the balance and confirm the card was activated. If the card arrived but has no balance, or if you never received the card, call the issuer's customer service line. They can tell you whether the funds were loaded onto the card and whether the card was delivered. If the card was never delivered, the issuer can reissue it or arrange for the funds to be transferred to your bank account.

Debit card payments were issued primarily in the first round of economic impact payments in 2020. If you received a card in 2020 and have not used it, check the card's expiration date — some of these cards expired in 2021 or 2022. If your card has expired, contact the issuer to find out whether the remaining balance can be transferred or refunded to you.

Claiming a payment you never received on your tax return

If you did not receive your payment and cannot get a replacement from the IRS, you can claim it on your tax return. The IRS will match the amount you claim against their records. If they have a record of sending the payment, they will reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe by that amount. If they have no record of sending it to you, they will honor your claim and adjust your return accordingly.

To claim the payment, you need to know the amount. The first round of payments was up to $1,200 per person, the second round was up to $600 per person, and the third round was up to $1,400 per person. If you had dependents, you received an additional amount per dependent in each round. Your tax return from the year the payment was issued will show the amount you were supposed to receive.

You do not need to file a separate form to claim the payment on your return — your tax software or tax preparer will ask you whether you received each payment, and you report the amount. If you did not receive it, report zero or the amount you actually received. The IRS will reconcile the difference when they process your return.

What to do if the IRS says you were not sent a payment

If Get My Payment says "Payment Status Not Available," it means the IRS has no record of sending you a payment in that round. This can happen for several reasons: you did not meet the income requirements for that round, the IRS did not have your information on file, or you were claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.

Check your tax return from the year the payment was issued. Your return will show whether you were sent a payment and how much. If your return shows you were sent a payment but Get My Payment says you weren't, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040. If your return shows you were not sent a payment, you were not may be able to access for that round under the rules in effect at the time.

If you believe you should have been sent a payment but were not, you can claim it on your tax return. Report the amount you believe you were owed, and the IRS will review your return and determine whether you meet the requirements. This process takes several weeks and is part of the normal tax return review process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a direct deposit payment to show up in my account?

Direct deposit payments should arrive within five business days of the IRS sending them. If more than a week has passed and you don't see the payment, contact your bank to confirm the account number on file with the IRS was correct. If your bank confirms the deposit never arrived, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040.

Can I get a replacement check if mine was lost in the mail?

Yes. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or mail Form 3911 to request a replacement. The IRS will issue a new check, which takes four to six weeks. You can also claim the payment on your tax return instead, which is faster if you're filing soon.

What if I received a debit card but it's expired?

Contact the card issuer's customer service number, printed on the back of the card. They can tell you whether the remaining balance can be transferred to your bank account or refunded. Some issuers allow transfers; others do not.

Do I have to report the payment on my tax return if I already received it?

No. Economic impact payments are not taxable income and do not need to be reported on your return. You only report them if you did not receive the payment and are claiming it.

What if Get My Payment shows a payment was sent but I received a different amount than expected?

Check your tax return from that year to confirm the amount you were supposed to receive. The amount depends on your income, filing status, and number of dependents. If the amount you received is less than you were owed, you can claim the difference on your tax return, and the IRS will adjust your refund.