IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number: How to call about your payment

Missing a stimulus check and need to call the IRS? We can help. If your first or second stimulus check never arrived or you have questions about the third round of checks, we’ve got everything you need to know about how to track your money, file for missing payment, or contact the IRS using the IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number.

However, before you call the IRS, scroll below to see if the question you are calling about is already answered here.

As you can imagine, more people are calling the IRS to check on their stimulus check.

It is estimated that 85% of American households are going to receive a check, that’s to about 159 million households.

As a result, the IRS phone lines have been flooded with calls.

However, the IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number is not equipped to handle an extremely large amount of calls.

Due to that reason, hold times have been reported to be very long.

Rather than wait on hold in frustration, you can first seek answers below by reviewing our Stimulus Check FAQs below.

"Call The IRS About Your Stimulus Check"

IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number

The Stimulus Check Payment phone number is 800-919-9835. You can call to speak with a live representative about your stimulus check.

Representatives are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.

However, hold times have been reported to be very long, as many people are calling the IRS to check on their stimulus payment.

To save you time and frustration, we have provided answers below to the most common reasons people call the IRS about their stimulus check.

Scroll down to see if your question is answered below.

Third Stimulus Check Questions and Answers

Here are the top reasons people are calling the IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number, including what to do if you did not get the first or second stimulus.

How Much will My Stimulus Check Be?

The amount of your stimulus check depends entirely on your adjusted gross income (AGI) from your 2019 or 2020 tax returns.

Eligible individuals can receive a stimulus check of up to $1,400.

Also, couples who file joint tax returns can receive up to $2,800.

Lastly, families with dependents can receive an additional $1,400 per dependent.

Who is Eligible for the Third Stimulus Check?

Here’s the income limit for the Third Round of stimulus checks signed into law by President Biden.

How much you are eligible for in the third round of stimulus depends on your income.

In general, the IRS will use the most recent tax return information it has on file to determine eligibility for the stimulus payments.

That means that if you are yet to file your 2020 return, your 2019 return will be used.

Here’s the income eligibility for stimulus round three based on Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your tax returns:

$1,400 for qualifying adults
2,800 for qualifying couples who file a joint tax return
$1,400 for each dependent child under the age of 17
$1,400 for each qualifying adult dependent

If you’re a single filer, your payment is reduced if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is above $75,000.

For married couples filing jointly, the phaseout begins at an AGI of $150,000. If you file as head of household, the reductions begin at $112,500.

Here is a summary of the income thresholds for the third stimulus payments.

Full $1,400 per person maximum (based on AGI)Not eligible (based on AGI)
Single taxpayerLess than $75,000$100,000 or more
Head of householdLess than $112,500$150,000 or more
Married couples filing jointlyLess than $150,000$200,000 or more

The payments are based on either 2019 or 2020 income.

If you have filed your 2020 tax returns already, your 2020 income will be used to determine your eligibility for the $1,400 stimulus payment.

Who is NOT eligible?

If you fall under the income categories below, then you are not eligible for a stimulus payment.

  • Individuals who earned more than $80,000
  • Married couples who earned more than $160,000, and
  • Heads of household who earned more than $120,000

Which Tax Return will be used to Calculate the Stimulus Check Amount?

The income limits for the third stimulus check will be based on a taxpayer’s most recent return.

Therefore, if you have already filed a 2020 return by the time the stimulus payment is sent, the IRS will base your eligibility on your 2020 adjusted gross income.

However, if you are yet to file your 2020 return, then the IRS will use your 2019 return.

If you do not file a tax return, you can use the IRS “Get my payment” portal to provide the IRS with relevant information they need to determine your eligibility.

See our post on how to use the IRS Stimulus Check Portal.

When will my Stimulus Check Arrive?

The IRS started mailing the third stimulus checks starting on March 12, 2021.

Checks will be sent via:

  • Direct Deposit (see details about Direct Deposit Dates below).
  • Paper Check
  • Stimulus Debit Card

Here’s the possible timeline for when you can expect your stimulus check.

Process Remaining for Stimulus BillActual and Future Possible Dates
House of Representatives Passes BillFebruary 27, 2021
Senate Passes Stimulus BillMarch 6, 2021
House of Representatives Votes on Senate BillMarch 9, 2021
Stimulus bill signed into law by President BidenThursday, March 11
First direct deposit check sent by IRSMarch 12 (pending), March 17 (official)
First paper checks sent by IRSWeek of March 22
First EIP Prepaid Debit Card sent by IRSWeek of March 29
IRS deadline to finish sending checksDec. 31, 2021 (mandated by the bill)
Last date to receive a checkJanuary 2022 (if checks sent late December)
Claims for missing stimulus money open2021 tax season likely (in 2022)

When will the IRS Direct Deposit the Third Stimulus?

Based on the information we have gathered from the IRS website, reporting by news organizations, and reader comments, here’s what we know:

The IRS sent the first direct deposit of the $1,400 checks to bank accounts on March 12, 2021.

If you did not see a deposit in your bank account, you may be scheduled for the next rounds of deposits.

Here’s the rest of the direct deposit schedule the IRS may follow based on what we have learned so far:

First Round of Direct Deposits
Friday, March 12th, 2021
Second Round of Direct Deposits
Monday – Wednesday
March 15th – 17th, 2021
Third Round of Direct Deposits
Friday, March 19th, 2021
Note: These are for Direct Deposits only, not paper checks or EIP Debit Cards

If you want to know for sure when your stimulus payment will be sent, follow the steps below to use the IRS Stimulus Check Status Tracker.

How Do I Track my Stimulus Check?

The IRS Stimulus Check Status Tracker is a tool by the IRS to help get the status of your stimulus check.

Click here for details on how to use the IRS Stimulus Check Status Tracker to get the status of your $1,400 stimulus payment and check on the first and second round of stimulus payments.

What if I did not Receive my First or Second Stimulus Payment?

An estimated 8 million eligible people didn’t get the first round of stimulus payments sent in 2020.

Part of the reason is that many of these people have very low incomes and are not normally required to file tax returns.

Last year, the IRS set up an online portal where they could register for the money.

Click here for details on how to use the IRS stimulus status tracker portal.

Alternatively, the IRS has added an extra line — line 30, “Recovery rebate credit” — to this year’s individual tax return Form 1040.

This is to allow individuals and couples to claim any missing stimulus payments.

Therefore, if you are missing some or all of your stimulus payments you can claim the additional amount and it will be added to your tax refund.

Why Did I Receive a Stimulus Debit Card?

While most people received their stimulus money via check or direct deposit, not everyone did. Here’s why.

The IRS sent out stimulus payment using three different methods:

  • Direct Deposit
  • Paper Check
  • Economic Impact Payment (EIP) Card, otherwise known as Stimulus Debit Card

If you didn’t get your payment via direct deposit and did not get a paper check either, then you are probably one of the people that got the EIP Card.

The IRS sent 4 million Stimulus Debit Card during the first set of stimulus payments.

Furthermore, the agency sent out 8 million EIP cards during the second round of stimulus payments.

Will College Students and Young Adults Living at Home get Stimulus?

Here’s what you need to know about dependents according to the third stimulus bill.

Anyone who can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return (whether or not they’re actually claimed as a dependent) won’t receive a third stimulus payment.

Therefore, no payments to children living at home who are 17 or 18 years old, or to college students who are 23 or younger at the end of the year who don’t pay at least half of their own expenses.

However, unlike with the first- and second-round payments, the person claiming the college student or young adults as a dependent – typically their parents – will get an extra $1,400 per dependent added to their third stimulus payment.

Also, the extra payment applies to any dependents – regardless of their age.

This means that adult children caring for their elderly parents can get the additional payment if they can claim their parents as dependents.

Will I have to repay stimulus money to the IRS if I earned more in 2020?

No. If your 2019 income was less than your pay in 2020 you will not owe back any money for the stimulus checks you received in 2020 or 2021.

However, if your income fell in 2020, filing your tax return now — before the payments go out — may mean you’ll get a bigger check.

Will I get a stimulus check or is it a direct deposit?

Taxpayers who have provided bank information with the IRS will receive the direct-deposit payments.

However, if the IRS does not have your bank information on file, then you get paper checks or the stimulus debit card.

Can debt collectors take my stimulus check?

Yes. If you owe money and are expecting to receive a stimulus payment, a debt collector could garnish it.

That is because, unlike the first and second stimulus bills, the third stimulus package was passed through a process known as budget reconciliation — not like a typical bill.

As a result, the stimulus payments are vulnerable to debt collectors.

IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number Summary

We hope this post on the IRS Stimulus Check Phone Number helpful.

If you have further questions about Stimulus Checks, Social Security, or Disability benefits, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles on:
IRS Stimulus Check Portal 
Third Stimulus Check FAQs
What is the Third Stimulus Check Release Date?
Second Stimulus check for $600: Update
Are Stimulus Payments Taxable Income?
How to Login my Social Security Account
Direct Express Dispute Resolution Help
2022 Social Security Payment Dates

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