Haven’t gotten your first $1,200 stimulus check? Here’s what to do by Nov. 21
Want information about when you will get your $600 stimulus payments that Congress passed in December? Click here for more information.
The IRS is reminding millions of Californians to make sure they receive their $1,200 stimulus payment.
Those who have yet to get the check have until Saturday, Nov. 21 at noon Pacific Time to file paperwork to receive the money by the end of the year. They can file the paperwork online and track the check at IRS website at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. They can also call the IRS hotline for help at 800-919-9835.
Tens of millions of Californians have already benefited from the check, most of them by April. But as of September, nearly 1.2 million Californians had yet to receive the money, largely because they don’t file federal tax returns due to their low income. Overall, nearly 9 million Americans haven’t gotten one.
People are likely eligible for the stimulus check as long as they are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, have a work-eligible Social Security number and can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return, according to the IRS.
Those trying to receive the check need to provide to the IRS their full name, current mailing address, an email address, date of birth, a valid Social Security number, bank account and routing number (if they have one), driver’s license or state-issued ID (if they have one) as well as an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number received from the IRS (if they have one).
They can also provide their child’s name and Social Security number to get up to additional $500 for each qualifying dependent under the age of 17. They can choose to receive the check via direct deposit or by a check.
Even those who have already obtained the $1,200 payment can visit the IRS website for more money if they didn’t get a payment for their spouse or qualifying child. But only those receiving federal benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement or veterans’ benefits are eligible.
The IRS’s tool is designed for individuals making below $12,200 or married couples making below $24,400, who don’t typically have to file federal tax returns.
For those who are required to file federal tax returns but haven’t done so for 2019, the IRS says they need to do so to get the check, rather than using the agency’s tool.
If people miss the Nov. 21 deadline, the IRS says they can still get the payment by filing the 2020 federal income tax return. However, they will have to wait until the tax season starts in early 2021 to do so.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Haven’t gotten your first $1,200 stimulus check? Here’s what to do by Nov. 21."
