How to track your coronavirus stimulus check status through the IRS Get My Payment tool

Here’s how to use the IRS’ online Get My Payment status tracker to check where your stimulus check is.

The IRS is queuing up a first wave of paper checks for those who are eligible for a stimulus payment, according to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The checks follow the news that last week the federal government began depositing stimulus checks into the bank accounts of millions of US residents.

For those who meet the requirements for economic impact money but are waiting for the IRS to send your coronavirus payment of up to $1,200, you have questions: Where is my stimulus check? When do I receive it? How much money do I receive? And how will I receive it? We’re going to show you how to track your status, if we can.

We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the IRS’ online status tracker, which is called Get My Payment. Be aware that some who meet the requirements for an economic relief payment are having trouble tracking their payment status and entering their electronic banking information for direct deposit — we’ve asked the IRS for details, but here are some of the reasons it might not work for you. We’ll also tell you what happens if you’re getting a paper check through the mail.

As for how much money you should expect to receive, without doing some calculations, it isn’t obvious how much you’re entitled to. Your final allowance will depend on a line in your tax form from either your 2018 or 2019 taxes. You can follow our guidelines or use a calculator to find out. Just know that a little legwork is unavoidable.

How to track the status of your stimulus check from the IRS

If you’re eligible for a payment, the IRS lets you track your money through its Get My Payment web portal. Due to high demand, you may see a message that you have to wait before you can access the site.

1. Head to the IRS’ Get My Payment page and tap the blue Get My Payment button to check the status of your economic impact payment.

2. On the next page about authorized use, tap OK.

3. Now on the Get My Payment page, enter your social security number (SSN) or individual tax ID (ITIN), your date of birth, your street address and your ZIP or postal code. Tap Continue.

On the next page, the portal will show your payment status, whether it’s been scheduled or if the service can’t yet determine your status. If you’ve not set up direct deposit with the IRS, the service may walk you through those steps to get your check sent straight to your bank account. Here’s how to set up direct deposit.