Economic Impact Payments are already hitting the accounts of many taxpayers. But many others are puzzled to read the message “Status Not Available” on the IRS’ Get My Payment tool. Why does this happen?
These are some of the reasons why you get this message, depending on whether or not you are required to file a tax return.
People Who Are Required to File a Tax Return
In this case, maybe the IRS hasn’t finished processing your 2019 tax return. This is important, because the IRS uses information included in tax returns to send Economic Impact Payments. It’s also possible that the application doesn’t have your data for some other reason, but the IRS updates the information on the website every day, so this may be solved soon.
People Who Don’t Usually File Tax Returns
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security (SSA) benefits or Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, among others, the IRS may not have your information yet, but they’re working with those agencies to upload your details to the platform.
If you used the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here feature on the IRS website, then the IRS hasn’t processed your entry yet.
Finally, you may be getting the “Status Not Available” message because you’re not be eligible for an Economic Impact Payment. You can check the criteria used to determine eligibility here.
What to Do If you Get “Status Not Available”?
If you are eligible, but get the “Status Not Available” message, keep checking the Get My Payment platform. Keep in mind that the tool is updated once a day, usually overnight, so the IRS encourages users to check their payments once every 24 hours to avoid excessive traffic and allow other users to check their payments as well.
The IRS’ response to COVID-19 changes constantly, so it’s important to stay updated. You can check the IRS website or this blog. It’s also a good idea to get advice from an expert who can help you get advantage of the relief initiatives unrolled by the government.
At Meadville Tax Services we have the know-how and the expertise to assist you so you can file your taxes efficiently, limiting your tax liability while staying compliant with federal tax regulations.
Contact us today by email, telephone (814-333-2488) or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more about our services.