If you haven’t received your third stimulus check, the Internal Revenue Service says you may just be eligible for a payment trace. Here’s what you need to know.
The Treasury Department has already begun issuing payments to social security (SSI and SSDI) recipients. If you are a non-filer or a beneficiary of Veterans Affairs, you should receive your check in a few weeks.
If you don’t receive your check within a few weeks, you should use the government’s Get My Payment tool. However, you may still need to take a few more steps to trace your payment. Tracing involves tracking down a lost, stolen, or misplaced payment and you may need to do it in the following circumstances.
- The Get My Payment tool says your stimulus money was issued.
- You received a letter from the IRS stating your payment was sent.
You will need to request a payment trace by calling the IRS at 800-919-9835. Alternatively, you can mail or fax the Form 3911 duly filled out along with a taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund. If you filed a filing jointly with your spouse, you can’t initiate a trace using the automated systems.
Remember to fill the Form 3911 as carefully as you can so that you receive your stimulus payment as fast. If you’re filing jointly with your spouse, make sure both of you sign the form.
Write ‘EIP’ (economic impact payment) on the top of your form before mailing or faxing it in.
The IRS also advises that you answer refund questions as they pertain to your EIP and after completing Number 7 under Section I, check the box for “Individual” as the type of return. You should enter “2021” as the tax period and leave the date field blank.
Taking these steps will initiate a trace for your missing payment.