IRS Statement — Update on Economic Impact Payments

Notice: Historical Content


This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current law, policies or procedures.

Updated: January 11, 2021

The IRS continues to take additional steps to get the second Economic Impact Payments to more eligible taxpayers. In addition to redirecting payments to the proper account in recent days to a larger group of people (see below), the IRS and tax industry partners worked over the weekend to help a smaller set of impacted taxpayers.

  • Reissuance of Certain Economic Impact Payments - Following extensive work and discussions with our industry partners, the IRS will reissue payments for taxpayers who did not receive the second Economic Impact Payment because the temporary bank accounts identified in our records were closed.
     
  • Taxpayers Impacted - This impacts some taxpayers when tax preparation providers were unable to deliver funds to people as a result of IRS guidance, and they are now waiting for the IRS to re-process payments related to these accounts.
     
  • Payment Directly from the Government to be Received Soon - Payments will be issued directly from the government later this month (our industry partners are not in possession of these funds), within weeks of the law being enacted.  For people in this group, payments may be issued either as a paper check or as a direct deposit.
     
  • No Action Required by Taxpayers to Receive these Payments - Taxpayers do not need to take any action or call; the payments will be made automatically.

The IRS regrets the inconvenience and greatly appreciates the assistance of our tax industry partners in helping accelerate a resolution of this issue.
 

January 8, 2021

IRS and Treasury continue to work closely with our partners in the tax and financial industry to do everything possible to get the second round of Economic Impact Payments to the American people as quickly as possible.

At this point, over 100 million EIPs have been direct deposited into eligible recipients' accounts. Some recipients may have had their payment directed to the temporary bank account established when their 2019 tax return was filed. The IRS and tax industry partners are taking immediate steps to redirect stimulus payments to the correct account for those affected. The IRS anticipates many additional taxpayers will receive payments following this effort.

For those taxpayers who checked Get My Payment and received a response indicating a direct deposit was to be sent to an account they do not recognize, the IRS advises them to continue to monitor their bank accounts for deposits.

The IRS emphasizes that the information taxpayers see in the Get My Payment tool, including account numbers and potential deposit dates, may not display an accurate account number as we continue to work through updates. No action is necessary for taxpayers as this work continues; they do not need to call the IRS, their tax provider or their financial institution.

Additional information:

  • Direct deposits. For those who have not yet received direct deposits, they should continue to watch their bank accounts for a deposit in coming days. IRS tax industry partners are taking steps to redirect stimulus payments to the correct taxpayer account for as many people as possible. The IRS emphasizes that the information taxpayers see in the Get My Payment tool, including account numbers and potential deposit dates, may continue to display unfamiliar account numbers as the IRS continues to work through and update this issue. No action is necessary for taxpayers as this work continues; they do not need to call the IRS, their tax provider or their financial institution.
     
  • Mail. Some people will receive their second Economic Impact Payment by mail, either as a paper check or in the form of a debit card. For people in this group, the IRS urges people to carefully watch their mail for either of these during January. Additional information is available on IRS.gov.
     
  • Tax returns. While the IRS continues to closely work with our industry partners to quickly deliver more Economic Impact Payments, the IRS reminds eligible taxpayers who don't receive a payment – or the full amount– that they can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return. Taxpayers in this situation are urged to file electronically with direct deposit to ensure their tax refund – and their stimulus payment – reach them as soon as possible.

The IRS appreciates the patience of taxpayers as we work with our industry partners to complete delivery of payments as quickly as possible.

Additional information on Get My Payment

The IRS reassures taxpayers who do not recognize the bank account number displayed in the Get My Payment tool that deposits were not made to the wrong account; this is not an indicator of fraud. If you do not recognize the account number, it may be an issue related to how information is displayed in the tool tied to temporary accounts used for refund loans/banking products. The IRS is working to address this. People do not need to complete Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, or contact the IRS.