Can you track your second stimulus check now? What we know about getting your status - CNET

If you are looking for your second stimulus check money, the IRS is working on a tool to help.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The IRS and US Treasury are already sending out the second stimulus checks that President Donald Trump signed into law as part of December's COVID relief bill. To help you track your incoming payment, the IRS is in the process of updating its online tool so you can check the status of your second stimulus check -- and your first if you've not received that one yet. (Here's how to calculate your new stimulus check total.)

"The tool is being updated with new information," the IRS said in a statement Tuesday, adding that it'll be available "in a few days." As of Jan. 1, the Get My Payment website showed a note saying it is "temporarily offline."

The IRS built its free tool in the spring to help those who were eligible for the first stimulus check monitor their payments, including how much money they qualified for, the status of the payment and any issues that might be holding up delivery. As with the first round of payments, these second stimulus checks are going out either directly to bank accounts via direct deposit or in the mail as paper checks or prepaid EIP cards. While the tool is not live yet for the second stimulus check, we anticipate it will provide similar information for the new round of payments. We'll also tell you another way to track your mailed check to your house.

How to track your second stimulus check status with the IRS

The portal for the IRS tool, called Get My Payment, is "temporarily offline," as the IRS updates it for the just-approved second check. When the IRS rolled out the portal for the first check in the spring, it let you monitor the status of your payment, and we expect it will work much the same way for people who are eligible for the second stimulus check. The IRS said you'll also be able to track the status of your first check, if you are still waiting for that one.

Here's how the Get My Payment tool worked before going offline.

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. On the Get My Payment page, enter your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), your date of birth, your street address and your ZIP or postal code. Tap Continue.

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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.

What to know about using the Get My Payment tool

Here's how the tool worked for the first round of payments.

• You'll need to input your SSN or ITIN along with your date of birth, street address and postal code.
• The IRS is sending payments on a schedule. Think of it as batches of payments that get sent at once. The Get My Payment tool can ballpark your scheduled date.
• The IRS updates its status tracking information once a day. 
• The tool may require you to enter your details in a specific way.
  
• You should receive a letter about 15 days after the IRS issues your payment, with information on the amount you received and how you received it.

After using the IRS tracker, you could also sign up for a free service from the post office that tells you exactly when your stimulus check will arrive in the mail.

The IRS and US Treasury are now making the second round of stimulus payments.

Sarah Tew/CNET

How to deal with an error message

With the first check, you could see confusing messages when using the status tool -- so much so that the IRS explains common status messages in a FAQ. When the tool opens up again, it's possible you may get a message. This might happen if it's impossible to determine your eligibility, for example, or your payment status is not available. Here are some initial reasons why Get My Payment may not be able to track your payment status, though the IRS has since said it's improved its tool.

Can you set up direct deposit with the tool?

For the first checks, you could use the Get My Payment tool to give the IRS your banking information to have your check sent via direct deposit. The IRS hasn't said if it will let those who qualify set up direct deposit for the second stimulus check, if the service doesn't already have your banking information. We've asked the US Treasury and IRS for clarification.

This handy USPS mail-tracking service will keep tabs on mailed stimulus checks

If your second stimulus check is going to arrive in the mail, the US Postal Service has a free app that can notify you when it's about to deliver your stimulus money from the IRS. Called Informed Delivery, the mail-tracking service automatically scans your letters and can alert you when they'll be delivered. Here's more on how to set up and use the letter-tracking service from the USPS to keep tabs on your payment.

The IRS will send you a letter confirming your payment was sent

With the first check, the IRS sent mail to a taxpayer's last known address within 15 days after sending the payment to notify them of the payment. The letter contained information on when and how the payment was made and how to report to the IRS if you didn't receive your check. The IRS has not said if it will send another letter for the second checks, but we do know that you'll still need the first letter if you intend to claim any missing stimulus money from the first check.

For more information, here's everything to know about a second stimulus check, including when the next IRS checks could potentially get sent and who might qualify for more money.

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