- The coronavirus stimulus check disbursements by the federal government are now wrapping up, after two months of sending out some $267 billion to Americans in the form of direct payments.
- The payments stem from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package Congress passed at the end of March.
- If you haven’t received your stimulus check yet, don’t worry — there are some steps you can take.
We here at BGR have published dozens of stories by now on the coronavirus stimulus checks that were a byproduct of the $2.2 trillion relief legislation Congress passed back in March, and for all the words we’ve written about the direct payments to Americans, this is the first time we’ve been able to say the following.
Most of the checks, at this point, have been sent out, meaning you should have your coronavirus stimulus payment of up to $1,200 (or up to $2,400 for married couples) by now. According to the IRS, 159 million of these payments have been processed over the past two months, with the payments totaling almost $267 billion. That includes 120 million payments sent to Americans via direct deposit, per the tax agency’s records, while 35 million payments were sent by check and 4 million payments were made in the form of a pre-paid debit card.
The IRS has said all these payments include those sent to people who usually don’t have to file a tax return but receive retirement, survivor or disability benefits under various programs administered by the Social Security Administration as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Railroad Retirement Board. “IRS employees worked around the clock to deliver the Economic Impact Payments and new tools to help taxpayers in record time,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a news release.
If you still haven’t gotten your check, meanwhile, the IRS says there are steps you need to take. “Even with these unprecedented steps,” Rettig continues, “there remain people eligible for these payments who need to take action. Registering to receive the payments is easy, and millions of non-filers have already taken this step. We urge everyone to share this information widely to help more people receive these payments.”
If you don’t file taxes and you still haven’t received your stimulus check yet, here’s what to do. You can submit your information through the IRS’ Non-Filers Tool by Oct. 15 to get your payment. Anyone with an income below $12,200 and who hasn’t filed a tax return for 2018 and 2019 can use the tool to add their basic personal information in order to receive the payment.
On the other hand, if you do pay taxes and believe you’re eligible for a stimulus payment (but haven’t gotten one), you’ll be able to claim the payment when you file your tax returns for 2020. And if you want your payment even sooner than that, you can always call the IRS Economic Impact Payment line at 800-919-9835.
