Americans eligible for direct payments from the coronavirus economic stimulus bill should be able to find out when they're getting their money with a new tool from the Internal Revenue Service expect to launch within the next week.
Called Get My Payment, the tool is expected to let users know when to either expect their money to be direct deposited into their accounts or when paper checks are slated to be delivered.
Get My Payment does not need to downloaded from an app store, according to a press release provided to Newsweek by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and can be accessed from any desktop, tablet or phone.
Some basic information will be required in order to track payments, including a Social Security number, mailing address and the date of birth of the user.
Expected to be an additional feature with the Get My Payment tool is a place for individuals who do not file yearly income tax returns, such as people who receive Social Security benefits, to input their information to facilitate payments.
Individuals who don't file tax returns can go ahead and send their information to the IRS by choosing the Non-filers: Enter Payment Info Here option on the IRS website.
"People who don't have a return filing obligation can use this tool to give us basic information so they can receive their Economic Impact Payments as soon as possible," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a news release on Friday. "The IRS and Free File Alliance have been working around the clock to deliver this new tool to help people."
"Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for 2019 or 2018 will receive the payments automatically," according to information on the IRS website. "Automatic payments will also go in the near future to those people receiving Social Security retirement, survivors, disability (SDDI), or survivor benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits."
American adults who are eligible for the payments can expect to receive up to $1,200 from the government, with an extra $500 paid out to parents per child.
However, dependent children over the age of 16 are not eligible for payouts, nor are individuals over the age of 18 who were claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes.
People must have a Social Security number in order to receive payments. If only one member of a couple that files a joint return has a Social Security number, then neither individual is eligible to receive the funds, although there is an exception to that rule for military families.
Limits for eligibility have also been set based on the adjusted gross income (AGI) reported on taxpayers' returns. In order to qualify, single eligible adults must have an AGI of $75,000 or less. Childless married couples need to have an AGI of $150,000 or less. Individuals filing as head of household must have reported an AGI of $112,500 or less.
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