Are you starting to wonder if your stimulus check will ever arrive?

If you filed your 2019 or your 2020 income tax return and opted to have your money sent directly to your bank account, you may be among the 80 million Americans whose money has already arrived or should arrive shortly. Checks began showing up in accounts on Fri., April 10.

An estimated 100 million Americans have not provided the IRS with their bank account information, if they have one. Some of these people have filed taxes, so they should eventually receive money but will have to wait weeks or even months for a check to come in the mail.

If you haven’t received your check yet, here’s how to track it – and if you would like to speed up receipt of your check, here’s a way you can do it.

You can check your payment status by going to www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments. While you’re there, if you want to provide your bank account information you can do so. However, hurry up and update your receipt method because the IRS will not change your delivery method once delivery of your check is scheduled.

Here’s how to use Get My Payment, which the IRS says is safe and secure to use. Taxpayers only need a few pieces of information to quickly obtain the status of their payment and, where needed, provide their bank account information. Having a copy of their most recent tax return can help speed the process.

If you want to track the status of your payment, the IRS site will show the payment amount; scheduled delivery date by direct deposit or paper check; and if a payment hasn’t been scheduled. A taxpayer will need to enter basic information including Social Security number, date of birth and the mailing address used on their tax return.

If you want to add your bank account information to speed up your stimulus payment, you need to provide your adjusted gross income from your most recent tax return submitted, either 2019 or 2018. And you need to know the refund or amount owed from your latest filed tax return. You are also going to need information about your bank account type, account number and routing number.

The IRS also has a separate online tool for people who don’t normally file tax returns. The non-filers: Enter Payment Info tool, developed in a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, is designed for people who did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019 and who don’t receive Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits. Additional information is available at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.

Stimulus Checks Going for Groceries

The U.S. government has started sending $1,200 checks to Americans to help ease the financial pain caused by shutting down the economy to fight the deadly coronavirus. By April 15, 80 million people were expected to receive a direct deposit in their bank account, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

Netspend, which processed nearly $1 billion in relief payments by April 13, said its customers are using the government money “for groceries, fast food, pharmacies and gas, as well as withdrawing cash from ATMs.” More than half of the transactions were PIN-based at ATMs or grocery stores, and about a quarter were done online.

Analysts say around 125 million to 150 million Americans are expected to receive the one-time payment.

Financial planners have urged people to use the money to buy basic necessities or pay off debt, which should help relieve pressure if someone loses a job.

Stimulus Checks To Bear Trump’s Name 

President Donald Trump’s name will be printed on the stimulus checks that the Internal Revenue Service will be sending to tens of millions of Americans around the country, in an unprecedented move finalized this week.

The Treasury Department confirmed the decision in a statement April 15. It marks the first time a president’s name has appeared on any IRS payments, either refund checks or other stimulus checks that have been mailed during past economic crises.

The Twitter world was abuzz with the announcement that the move would slow down delivery of the checks, although the Treasury said that the decision to add Trump’s name would not delay issuance of the paper checks, which will be mailed to people who are not set up to receive direct deposit payments from the IRS.