Delivery Timelines for Stimulus Payments

When Are Stimulus Payments (EIPs) Sent?

The delivery of an EIP depends on which piece of legislature it comes from: EIP1 (the CARES Act) was delivered on a different schedule from EIP2 (the Consolidated Appropriations Act) and EIP3 (American Rescue Plan Act).

When does EIP1 from the CARES Act arrive?

The IRS began sending economic impact payments in April of 2020; most taxpayers did not need to take any action to receive their payment.

The Department of the Treasury used info from 2019 tax returns to determine AGI, qualifying children, and whether to send payments by check or direct deposit. If you hadn’t filed your 2019 taxes, your 2018 tax return information was used.

The Get My Payment tool allowed taxpayers to choose how to receive their EIP, and the tool also helped track stimulus payments. Get My Payment no longer has information for EIP1, but you can access your EIP1 info via an Online Account at IRS.gov.

Any amount of the payment you qualify for but haven’t yet received can be claimed on your tax return via the Recovery Rebate Credit.

When does EIP2 from the Consolidated Appropriations Act arrive?

The Consolidated Appropriations Act EIPs were sent in January, 2021. Direct deposits generally occurred within the first two weeks of January. Mailed payments should arrive before February 24, 2021, and if you have a forwarding address, your payment should arrive before March 10, 2021.

Get My Payment no longer has information for EIP1, but you can access your EIP1 info via an Online Account at IRS.gov.

When does EIP3 from the American Rescue Plan Act arrive?

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act) began sending in March 2021. The IRS has delivered the vast majority by now, and taxpayers can use the Get My Payment tool to track the location of their EIP3 stimulus payment.

What do I do if I haven’t gotten my stimulus payments yet?

For EIP1, simply claim the Recovery Rebate Credit when you file your 2021 tax return.

For EIP2, wait to claim the RRC until you are outside of the timeframes below:

• 5 days since the deposit date
• Before February 24, 2021 for mailed payments
• March 10, 2021 for mailed payments if you have a forwarding address on file with the local post office for the first EIP
• March 31, 2021 for mailed payments if you have a foreign address for the first EIP

If you claim the missing amount before the windows above are complete, keep in mind that the IRS will adjust your refund if it shows that you both received the stimulus money and claimed it on your return, and this will delay processing your refund because your return will be routed through IRS error corrections. That delay could be 1 to 2 months but may be shorter.

If it has been longer than the timeline above, you should follow the steps shown in Q F3 on this page to request a payment trace to signal the IRS of the missing amount. Since payment tracing can take up to six weeks, the IRS suggests you go ahead and file your tax return and claim your missing EIP2 through the Recovery Rebate Credit.

For EIP3, you should request a payment trace if it has been:

• 5 days since the deposit date and the bank says it hasn't received the payment
• 4 weeks since the payment was mailed by check to a standard address
• 6 weeks since the payment was mailed, and you have a forwarding address on file with the local post office
• 9 weeks since the payment was mailed, and you have a foreign address

To request a payment trace, mail or fax a completed Form 3911 to the address listed for your location here.