A number of residents have been questioning why it is taking so long this go around to receive Covid-19 stimulus checks. About 35 people in the Eureka Springs area responded to an informal email survey Jan. 22 about the $600 checks they were supposed to receive, with about half stating they had not received the payments meant to stimulate the economy during a time of economic hardships for many.
However, eight of those people reported receiving checks or debit cards on Jan. 23 and five more on Jan. 25. People can check the status of their stimulus checks online at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment. Fill in your name, Social Security number and birthdate to get an update.
The get-my-payment information is updated once per day overnight, so people can check daily.
When this reporter checked on the status of her payment, she received the following message: “We are unable to provide the status of your payment right now because we don’t have enough information yet (we’re working on this), or you’re not eligible for a payment.”
The IRS says both U.S. citizens and resident aliens may be eligible for $600 ($1,200 for a joint return), plus $600 for each qualifying child if you aren’t a dependent of another taxpayer on a 2019 tax return, have a Social Security number valid for employment, and your annual adjusted gross income does not exceed $150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower; $112,500 if filing as head of household; or $75,000 for eligible individuals using any other filing status.
A number of people reported getting the second stimulus as a check when they got a direct deposit for the first stimulus payment in the spring 2020. Some reported getting debit cards when they had gotten direct deposit in the past. One person reported that she and her husband learned from the IRS website that their check had been mailed Jan. 6, but they hadn’t received it.
Another person reported getting $85. A married couple reported getting a total of $200 when the amount they were eligible for was $1,200. Another local couple found out their check had been routed through the company that prepared their tax return, which delayed their receiving the money. Many tax preparers use temporary bank accounts when filing someone’s taxes and the IRS mistakenly sent many payments to those bank accounts that are now closed. The IRS said in those cases, new checks will be issued after Feb. 1.
If you don’t recognize the bank account number displayed in the Get My Payment tool, the IRS said that does not mean your deposit was made to the wrong account or that there is fraud.
“If you do not recognize the account number, it may be an issue related to how information is displayed in the tool tied to temporary accounts used for refund loans/banking products,” the IRS website states. “You do not need to complete Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.”
One person who responded to the survey said he had contacted the offices of Rep. Steve Womack and Sen. John Boozman about the delay in stimulus checks being received. The resident said the idea of an immediate stimulus was to put money in people’s hands ASAP, not down the road.
“Womack’s office assured me that they are aware of the problem, so I asked why they’ve done nothing about it,” the resident said. “I outlined various steps they could take, like getting together with other legislators and insist that the IRS do the duty that Congress authorized.”
While the stimulus money has been welcome, it’s a drop in the bucket for many lcal residents struggling to survive. There is normally a downturn in the winter to the tourism-based economy of Eureka Springs. But, this year, many residents didn’t have time to save up for the winter because they lost their jobs or had reduced income during the tourism season, and some got sick from Covid-19 and were unable to work.
Local Liz Kimberlin said the second stimulus was gone before 48 hours was out because she paid some back rent and other bills that accumulated. Now President Joe Biden is asking Congress to pass another stimulus of $2,000 per person, but that is far from certain to pass.
“In the meantime, we just wait. Again.” Kimberlin said. “And the bills are piling up. Again. And despite a larger promised amount, many of us will still be right back where we started, possibly even two steps back the longer the delay. As loath as I am to admit it, I’d rather 45’s impeachment trial in the Senate be postponed if it means the stimulus payments are expedited to the people who need it most.”
The IRS said people don’t need to take any action to get their payments.
“If you don’t recognize the bank account information shown in Get My Payment, you’ll get the reissued payment by Direct deposit. Watch your bank account for a deposit in the coming days or Get My Payment may continue to show unfamiliar account numbers as we reissue payments. Mail. Watch your mail for a paper check or debit card.”
The IRS requests people not call the IRS about the second stimulus payment as phone assistants do not have additional information beyond what’s available on IRS.gov and in the Get My Payment link.
The IRS is not penalizing people who owe them money by blocking the second stimulus check. If you haven’t received a stimulus payment or didn’t get the full amount by the time you file for 2020 taxes, you can request the stimulus through the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return.
For more information, go online, irs.gov/newsroom/irs-statement-update-on-economic-impact-payments and irs.gov/coronavirus/second-eip-faqs.
lets stop paying the senators and congressmen and ladies and see how fast the money gets to their bank account.