IRS Is Now Depositing Coronavirus Stimulus Checks — Here's How To Keep Tabs On Yours

Less than three weeks after Congress passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun distributing stimulus checks. Over the weekend, the IRS announced it had made the first round of Economic Impact Payments and would continue to roll out payments in the coming weeks. But is it possible to track the whereabouts of your check? The IRS is expected to launch a tool that enables people to track the status of coronavirus stimulus checks.

"IRS deposited the first Economic Impact Payments into taxpayers' bank accounts today," the IRS tweeted Saturday. "We know many people are anxious to get their payments; we'll continue issuing them as fast as we can."

While, as of April 13, there's no way to track the status of your check, the IRS is expected to roll out a web-based tool capable of doing just that later this week. According to the IRS, the free "Get My Payment" web application will enable taxpayers who already filed 2018 or 2019 returns but did not provide banking information for direct deposit to submit that information, effectively enabling the IRS to get them their checks faster.

Eligible taxpayers will also be able to track the status of their check through the IRS' "Get My Payment" app, the agency noted in a recent press release. To track the status of your check through the "Get My Payment" app, taxpayers will need to supply their Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address. When it launches, the tool will be accessible from the IRS' coronavirus hub.

Individuals and married couples who did not file a tax return for either 2018 or 2019 can use the IRS' "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here" tool to provide basic personal information for their payment.

Some 60 million stimulus payments were expected to have been made via direct deposit over Easter weekend, according to a memo from the House Committee on Ways and Means. Those first payments were reported to have been made to taxpayers who filed returns in 2018 or 2019 that included their direct deposit information.

According to the House Committee on Ways and Means, the IRS is expected to make a second round of payments — also via direct deposit — some 10 days after its first round to Social Security beneficiaries who did not file returns in 2018 or 2019 but who receive their benefits via direct deposit. Paper checks are not expected to be issued until the week of May 4, roughly three weeks after the first round of payments were made, the memo noted.

As part of the emergency economic relief package passed by Congress in March, eligible taxpayers will receive a one-time, direct cash payment of $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples. Eligible taxpayers with children under the age of 17, will also receive an additional $500 for each qualifying child. Only individuals with valid Social Security numbers who made less than $75,000 in 2019 are eligible to receive the full $1,200 payment. The income threshold jumps to $150,000 for married couples. Individuals and married couples who made between $75,000 and $99,000 and $150,000 to $198,000, respectively, will see their stimulus checks reduced $5 for every $100 they made beyond the initial threshold.

While a number of people are likely anxious to receive their stimulus check, the IRS has cautioned folks to beware of scammers and email phishing attempts centered around Economic Impact Payments. As a reminder, the agency has stressed it does not initiate contact with taxpayer or request personal information by email, text message, or social media channels.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all of Romper’s parents + coronavirus coverage here, and Bustle’s constantly updated, general “what to know about coronavirus” here.