ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – Wednesday at noon was the deadline to file for direct deposit with the IRS. If you did not do that, then you will be receiving your stimulus payment in the form of a paper check.
“They plan on starting sometime toward the end of May or early June and probably won’t be done until the first week of August,” said Joe Marchbein, CPA with Rice Sullivan LLC.
If you meet the qualifications, which are listed on the IRS website, you should still be receiving payment. But also know if you received payment and do not actually qualify you will have to pay it back whether it is because you did not meet the income requirement or for other reasons.
“Like if a person passed away,” Marchbein said. “We’ve had clients that have received checks to a deceased person.”
Marchbein said those checks must be returned.
“The way that works, if you got a paper check you write void where you endorse and send it to the IRS office,” Marchbein said.
Meanwhile, you can check online for the status of your payment. Go to IRS.gov and click on the “get my payment” icon. You must log in with your tax information, your social security number, your 2018 or 2019 income information and your mailing address. Then you push the button and it tells you the status of your check.
If you weren’t required to file a tax return in 2018 or 2019, the IRS has a tool explaining how you can get your economic stimulus payment, if you are eligible.
Unfortunately, that website has been plagued with problems. Marchbein says with most IRS officials out of the office due to the virus, there’s really no other way to obtain the information.
Marchbein also warns that there are a lot of scams out there right now relating to stimulus checks. He says the IRS will never email you saying you need to return your payment.
