My Economic Stimulus Check Didn’t Arrive When Promised!
May 3, 2008 — BeThisWayEvery morning this week I’ve turned on my computer and immediately went to my bank’s website to see if our Economic Stimulus check was deposited yet (Is that anal? My friend says it is. I don’t think so. Do you?). Every morning I’ve been disappointed. Well, except for Wednesday when our tax refund was deposited. I did a little happy dance that day.
Husband was irritated because we “should have been in the first wave,” but I reassured him that the published schedule promises our payment no later than May 2nd. There’s still time.
Yesterday morning I went through the same routine but could not connect to my bank’s website. Their server must have been temporarily down - all those people checking to see if their money arrived. I had to leave home to do the World’s Biggest De-cluttering Job to get my Dad’s house ready for it’s first official showing, so I wasn’t near a computer again until 8pm last night.
As expected, the first thing I did when I sat down at my computer was to check to see if our Economic Stimulus check was deposited yet.
It wasn’t.
Dadgummit!!! Where the heck is our money?
So I did a little research and found out:
If you file your taxes after April 15th yours will not go out until at least May 9th.
Well, I filed before the 15th.
If you had any fees taken out of your initial refund (like their processing fee like many people do), you’ll get a paper check.
Nope. No fees. It pays to be The Accountant’s Daughter.
Then I found this little tidbit on the Stimulus Payment Schedule:
“A small percentage of tax returns will require additional time to process and to compute a stimulus payment amount. For these returns, stimulus payments may not be issued in accordance with the schedule above, even if the tax return was processed by April 15.”
Aha! There’s an exception to every rule. Apparently I’m it.
(Why can’t I be the exception for something fun? For example, why can’t I be the one who can eat and eat and not gain weight? Why can’t I be the one who can wear really high heels and not have them kill my feet? Why can’t I be the one that enjoys cleaning? Noooooooooo. I get to be the one who doesn’t get my money when almost everyone else does. Lucky me.)
The delay is likely because even though I am a Stay at Home Mom I did do some work last year and earned about $2000. And I declared it as income to our freelance Sole Proprietorship, so my situation may not easily fit into one of their computation formulas.
It’s great to be special.
But wait!
I went to the IRS website again this morning because PaidTwice mentioned in a post that you can go there to find out when to expect your Economic Stimulus check.
I found on the IRS website, but in a different spot than the above info (and wouldn’t it be nice if all of the pertinent information was in the same location?):
In general, the payment schedule only applies if your return was received and the IRS finished processing your return before April 15. If you filed your return on time, but close to the April 15 deadline, the IRS may not have finished processing it before April 15.
Processing times for tax returns and stimulus payments vary. If you are getting a regular income-tax refund, the IRS will send you that refund first. Normally, your stimulus payment will follow one to two weeks later.
Ahhh. Well, I did file before April 15th. On the 13th, to be exact.
So it looks like my little morning ritual will have to last awhile longer. And I’ll lose out on a little interest income.
But I’m still special, right?
~
Edited to add some helful links:
When will your economic stimulus payment arrive?
May 3, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Yes, you are definitely special.
May 4, 2008 at 11:27 am
You are special, if not a wee bit anal.
May 5, 2008 at 9:43 am
I don’t think you are completely anal. I’ve spent the last week checking my bank account every morning and in the evening too (my husband heard it could be deposited late afternoon).
My husband and I filed jointly but I always put him first on our return. The last two of his SS fall in the first bracket as well, so darn it we should have been in the first group to get paid.
I went to the IRS web page to make sure we would qualify and for how much.
The funny thing is that my bank web page went down this friday as well. The phone lines too, and when the phone lines went back up they were all busy even through Saturday.
It’s Monday morning now, and still no check for us….
Here’s to special people everywhere!
May 5, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I, too, should have been one of the first to get my check, my ss# last two digits fall in the May 2nd date…I filed on turbotax and heard a rumor that if you file thru them or H&R Block that they come later and in the form of a paper check, even though I got my taxes direct deposited….and I filed the first week in Feb…..However, today at work several people who got their checks also filed with turbo tax so obviously that rumor was untrue…still don’t know why it’s not there but I keep checking every day too……
Signed,
Another special person
May 5, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Been checking EVERY day also. Actually, about every hour on the day it was supposed to be here. Still not here. STILL checking Wells Fargo too many times a day
May 6, 2008 at 6:42 am
[...] presents My Economic Stimulus Check Didn?t Arrive When Promised! posted at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know [...]
May 6, 2008 at 8:38 am
Me too I alway check my bank account first thing in the morning just to see if check is already deposited and darn it until now I have not received it. Some of my friends have received it already so i feel a little disappointed that until now my check did not arrive yet. Anyway thanks for the info.
May 6, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I’m in the same boat as you are. I filed my taxes in February, and received my refund via e-file later that month. At first I thought it was because I was being audited, but that can’t be the case because generally they would withhold my refund if that were true, and they promptly deposited it into my account. Nothing out of the ordinary has changed since I filed (address, banks, etc.).
As far as the “additional time” necessary to make the computation, this doesn’t make sense to me because my total household income is barely below the initial phase-out. I do have two kids, but that should be simple math as well. So I’m not sure why I didn’t get mine last week either.
The only thing I can add is that I filed my taxes through taxact.com, but again, I sent in the return and received the refund through the e-file system.
I’m annoyed.
May 6, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I ,too, am in the same boat as the rest of you. I have looked for my economic stimulus check since Monday, April 28. I also did direct deposit, but read yesterday that if your refund was direct deposit through a RAL (Refund Anticipated Loan) then your check would arrive with the paper checks according to the last two digits of SS#. So there goes for getting an early start on sales….
May 6, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I feel all your pain!! I am set to have mine in the second wave, around May 9th, but heard on the news that all the checks started going out 4 days early……so……where’s my money?? I’m starting to feel like Stuey on “Family Guy”…you know, the episode where he beats all over Brian…….”where’s my money……I want my money, man”??!!! By the way….no body is anal for checking the ol’ bank account on-line, even if it’s 20 times daily, you can’t keep enough of an eye on your money these days!! Maybe we’ll all get our checks tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day……except for me……and maybe the original author of this masterpiece!!
May 6, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Jane, I’m beginning to think my refund might have been given to me through a RAL, now that you mention it. I remember having to sign up for a pseudo-bank account at some random bank for a $5 fee in order to get the money wired to my own checking account. I wonder if that’s it.
Still annoyed…
May 7, 2008 at 8:47 am
You are just being a good steward of what will hopefully be yours someday; I check hourly as well. I filed on the 13th of April as well, and since I had to pay, I used my bank routing number and account number to at least look like “direct deposit.” I notice the IRS does not mention if one paid in taxes rather than got a refund for the timing and method of a stimulus “check.” I suspect I will actually see something before Christmas, depending on who wins the election.
I think this is all just to take our minds off the war and election falderal anyway.
May 7, 2008 at 9:07 am
I too am frustrated… I filed in Feburary via Turbo Tax and I’m in the May 2 deadline and still haven’t received my check… While my partner filed two days later than I did using the same Turbo Tax software… AND is supposed to be in the May 9th group but recieved his already. I’m still waiting… and FRUSTRATED!
I entered all the information from my 1040EZ on the IRS site and was assured that I would get the $600.00…. so I guess the check’s in the mail??
May 7, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I got a good chuckle from the information you posted. I did not Know anything about the processing fees. Thanks a lot. I will stop checking my account every morning now.
May 8, 2008 at 10:56 am
Still a waiting… I find it very interesting what Tman wrote- regarding both of you filed through turbo tax and 1 recieved theirs but the other didin’t. I went through turbo tax and we have not recieved ours either- how ever I had federal direct deposited and the state portion mailed- maybe that has something to do with why we have not recieved ours- maybe you had select direct deposit for both. Who knows- but on one of the websites under direct deposit it says “Please allow 2 weeks from the date shown on the schedule to receive your payment”. and it was on top of the direct deposit schedule so i assumed it might be for that. Weird… who knows- *crossing fingers it comes sooon!* also- tman hace your partner go to https://sa1.www4.irs.gov/irfof/IRServlet?app=IRACTC&action=rebate and fill out the info and see if it says they already sent his deposit- if so- you fill it out and you should know at least 1 week before you get it that you will get it lol.
May 9, 2008 at 7:16 am
btw it may be stated above, but if you took that “take my processing fees out of my refund” option you have taken a loan for Santa Barbra bank. Your best hope is that the refund doesn’t get processed ACH through Santa Barbra or you will have to wait for the bounce back as well. My guess is most people that did this should consult the paper schedule to see when they are getting their stimulus check… Here for your perusal is the paper schedule:
PAPER CHECK
Last two SSN digits / mailed date not received date
00 through 09 / May 16
10 through 18 / May 23
19 through 25 / May 30
26 through 38 / June 6
39 through 51 / June 13
52 through 63 / June 20
64 through 75 / June 27
76 through 87 / July 4
88 through 99 / July 11
May 9, 2008 at 8:17 am
Did any one else get the $1,200.00 for being a couple and not get the $300.00 per child? I thought we were getting both not one or the other. Are there other checks out there? We have 3 children and didn’t get a dime for one of them. Is this just another way of sticking to hard working Americans?
May 9, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I am so totally bummed now after reading all this, I too filed in feb with turbo tax. I was expecting my deposit today may 9, and it didnt happen. I wrote a check against it yesterday and now Im in deep poo poo. If im understanding these comments correctly. I will have to wait for a papercheck. Ive heard paper checks are now being sent out starting today may 9. my last 2 numbers are 25.Im so bummed, im going to have a bounced check now
May 9, 2008 at 4:20 pm
P.S… I am single mom of 1, i was expecting 600 for me and 300 for my child, does this mean i only get one or the other from what Boss Lady said? OMG im dying here
May 9, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Boss Lady - It seems to me you should be getting money for your kids, too, unless a whole list of exceptions listed on the IRS website. Check with your local IRS office to be sure!
Michelle - I’m not going to lecture you about writing a check before you have the cash in hand, but I am going to recommend you check out some of the terrific personal finance blogs out there to learn how to stretch your money and avoid fees. I feel for all the single Moms out there! You also may want to visit the IRS website to figure what your stimulus check will be.
I have edited the original post to give links to some of the helpful irs.gov links. Check them out!
May 9, 2008 at 5:57 pm
OK- here is something from the updated FAQ’s from the IRS- it would have been nice if they elaborated the ‘direct deposit’ and gave this info so that so many of us that did do direct deposit not realizing we did a RAC wouldn’t have been expecting it to be direct deposited….
Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested my electronic filing and/or tax preparation fees be deducted from my refund. Does that affect my stimulus payment?
A. If you requested that your electronic filing or tax preparation fee be deducted from the amount of your refund, you have entered into a financial agreement with the tax preparation provider or e-file software company for a refund anticipated check (RAC). Both Refund Anticipation Checks (RACs) and Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) are bank products. The money that is deposited into your bank account comes from the financial institution associated with your electronic filing software provider or tax preparation provider, not directly from the IRS. Taxpayers who use RALs, RACs or enter into similar loans or financial agreements with their tax professional or tax software companies will not receive their economic stimulus payments by direct deposit. Instead they will get a paper check that will be issued according to the schedule that has been published for paper check distribution.
HOpe this is helpful! It sure was for me- so crossing fingers for the 30th!!!
May 10, 2008 at 8:03 am
So because I had my filing fees taken out of my refund, I get a paper check. That super sucks. I guess I can wait 3 more weeks. I will probably still check my account daily for the next 3 weeks anyway.
May 10, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I work in the bank and had spent the entire week checking accounts for customers expecting their payments. Many of whom received their payments. A coworker and I were both expecting ours and didn’t get them. We also had several angry customers wondering where their funds were. So we called the IRS thinking that maybe they could give us answers.
The lady on the phone was very nice and had obviously been talking with a lot of disgruntled citizenry but she could only tell us the same information from the website. Her advice: “Check with your bank”. Ha!
My advice as your friendly bank teller. Don’t rely on these payments for paying bills or anything. We are talking about the IRS. An organization that doesn’t exactly exist to help people. I know that banks are under legal obligation to make funds available in a timely fashion. Usually these types of transactions are posted within hours of receiving information. Our bank posts batches every 4 hours. Hope this helps good luck everyone.
May 11, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I got a letter in the mail quite a while back stating that in fact I would be getting my stimulus check. while I am on the 2nd wave…. and no I still dont have my check. I think not posting NO LATER THAN on the IRS site really upset many. Because May 9 was a Friday… I would look at Monday around noon to see if things are updated and posted. I too wanted to use this $$ for something but unless the green is there……….Im not doing nada….. sip!
May 11, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I was supposed to get my stimulus check may 9th and never got it… if the irs sets up guidelines and schedules they should abide by them…. they wouldn’t like it if i told them i was gonna give them my $1000 in taxes and put it off for a month…. but i’m opening a business soon… so we’ll see how long it takes for it to become “official” hahaha
May 12, 2008 at 7:25 am
We too was supposed to receive our check direct deposited “on” or “before” May 9, what if I said yes your money will be there on or before April 15, and it didn’t come, i bet all of my non-received stimulus check the IRS would come after me “ON” or “BEFORE” April 16…just a little frustrated cause there goes our vacation, which by the way, my husband so deserves!
May 12, 2008 at 8:16 am
I did my taxes with H&R block. I did a $500.00 emerald card, which was like a line of credit from H&R block. They deducted the $500 from my tax return…which WAS direct deposited.
We’re family, so we didn’t pay any fees. We were supposed to get our check by May 9th. STILL NOT HERE! We even got the letter saying we would get it…
Did anyone else do the H&R block emerald card thing? Is that what’s holding it up?
And….the “where’s my stimulus payment” link on the IRS website responds “Sorry there is no information on your stimulus payment.” THANKS FOR THE LINK IRS!
May 12, 2008 at 8:23 am
SAVE A TREE dont send me a letter in the mail saying… look forward to your check…… thne all the HOOPLA on when it is to be there……… only to realize that YES … the IRS plays by their own rules…………subjective at best
May 12, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I have a full time job and everything. I filed my taxes on Turbo Tax in February and my refund was direct deposited in early March. Right on schedule. I got the letter stating I might qualify for a stimulus check and everything.
The last two #’s of my ssn says that I should have gotten the deposit no later than may 9th. Well here it is May 12 and still no sign of the check. I called my bank and there is nothing pending either.
Whats annoying is that my partner filed on Turbo tax as well (just like me) and he got his direct deposited as well. The only thing is that he didn’t do his taxes for 2006 and had to mail them out separetly.
He forgot and NEVER sent them out.
So he called the IRS and they said that because he never filed his 2006 taxes, he didn’t qualify for the stimulus check.
Guess what… HE GOT HIS ON THURSDAY THE 8TH!!!! I’m rather angry because I don’t owe anything and filed EVERY YEAR ON TIME!!! Where the heck is my check if my partner got his earlier and OWES 2006!!!!!!! There is somthing wrong with this system!!!!!!!!
May 12, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I went on the site earlier and it showed me getting $2100 back on Friday. I went back later to double check, and now there is an error
May 12, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I too never got my stimulus check on May 9th as I was supposed to. And as I mother of 10 I was eagerly awaiting the $$$$$$$$$$$$ coming in ! Somewhere in web land is a form that will tell you if your check is scheduled to come in the next week, and that even says it doesn’t know when my $$$$$$$$ is coming :- ( But the irs.gov site says I am due a check, so who knows what is going on??????? I also check my bank every day ………
Sadly awaiting in MI