You can now track your stimulus check, find out how you’re being paid — and, if you want, update your bank direct deposit information to get your stimulus payment as fast as possible.
The online IRS portal for entering payment information and checking on the status of stimulus checks has just added a new feature. The application is called Get My Payment.
The Get My Payment tool allows taxpayers to check on the status of their stimulus payments and confirm whether the money is arriving via direct deposit or paper check. You can also enter new bank information if your direct deposit account isn’t on file.
While Get My Payment allows you to give bank direct deposit information to the IRS, you cannot change bank information with the IRS if it already has an account for you on file. Why? As the IRS explains, “To help protect against potential fraud, the tool also does not allow people to change bank account information already on file with the IRS.” You also can’t change your form of payment if the IRS has already scheduled it for delivery.
If you haven’t filed your 2019 taxes (or your 2018 returns for that matter), you might want to do that now. Many people can file federal tax returns for free, and tax-prep services like TurboTax and H&R Block are easy to use.
The Get My Payment app is strictly for people who file federal taxes. The IRS has a separate spot online where non-tax filers, including many low-income earners, can enter their information to get stimulus checks for themselves and qualifying dependents.