Direct Deposit update for $600 stimulus checks?

Factual Questions
1

So if you get your tax refund by direct deposit then the IRS will direct deposit the stimulus checks, but what if you’ve changed banks since you filed your taxes? I’ve changed banks since the first round of checks and filing my 2019 tax return; can I update my info w/ the IRS for the $600 stimulus checks that were just passed? The IRS website is really confusing and is making me think there’s nothing I can do until I file my 2020 return.

2

My understanding is that if the account is closed, you will get a paper check. I don’t believe there is a method for updating your direct deposit info, although you could file your taxes as soon as possible and update your info then.

3

Thanks, that’s what I was afraid of. There really should be a way to update it though.

4

Hi guys. IRS employee here.

ethelbert is right. If the payment is direct deposited to a closed account, the payment will be mailed to you to your address of record. This is usually the address you had on your last tax return, unless you have changed it. If you are no longer at that address, the check gets sent back to the IRS (not forwarded), and you will have to contact them to have it sent to the appropriate place.

There’s a lot of useful info here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments

5

[aside]
Point of information: Those $600 payments have already begun! I got mine direct-deposited on January 1. I thought that was surprisingly swift. Are others getting this already?
[/aside]

6

Mine was direct deposited on Dec. 31. Very surprised.

7

I also received my deposit already.

8

Thank you so much for this clear and straightforward explanation!

How do we contact the IRS to straighten out any address complications?

9

I think that question is answered in the FAQ linked from that page.

10

Are Americans able to update the IRS whenever they change their banking information?

Prior to COVID-19 (and the resultant mass digital fraud) you could update your direct deposit with the Canadian tax authorities very easily online.

11

Ours is showing in our account this morning. I suppose that once the infrastructure was in place from the initial stimulus round, it was much less of a PITA to do the second round.

12

We won’t get one, which is fine.

13

Hi guys. Following up with some more info…

Today, the IRS re-launched its “Get My Payment” tool. You can go there online and find out if your payment has been sent and where it was sent to. I just tried it and it told me exactly what I knew, my payment was direct deposited and it verified the last 4 digits of the account number it was sent to. Now, I don’t know how much information it provides about where payments are mailed, but one of the pieces of information it asks for before revealing info is your street address and ZIP code. I assume that if the info you put in for that doesn’t match the address on file, your request will be rejected and that if its mailed it’s gong to a different address. (Again, if you are no longer at that address and you filed a change of address with the Post Office, it will not be delivered at all. It will just be sent back to the IRS with an “undeliverable” sticker on it with the correct address. Even then it won’t be resent until you contact the IRS.)

The link for the Get My Payment tool is https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment

Now then, a couple phone numbers:

First is the customer service number for the EIP, which is the department handling the payments. They may be able to help you get a mis-sent payment directed to the right place or account. Their number is 800-919-9835.

The second number is for Accounts Management. This is the primary department that handles and maintains all personal tax accounts. If you need to change your address of record, these are going to be the guys you need to speak to. Warning: this number stays extremely busy, and with this being just after the end of a tax year plus the stimulus payments, well… Pack a lunch and find a comfortable chair if you call this number. It’s 800-829-1040

Both of these numbers are manned 7AM to 7PM local time. The advice I give people when referring to them is to call at 7AM. The wait is usually much better then.

14

Oddly, they are mailing our checks this time around. Last time, it was direct deposited into our checking account that still exists. Wonder why it changed. I’m a little bit bummed as I really could have used the money in the last few days. As it happens, it will arrive just after payday.

15

We got ours as a ‘debit’ card which I consider a pita for several reasons.

  1. The issuing bank is getting to charge me ATM fees unless I find an in-network (not my bank ATM)
  2. If I use it for purchases, the retailer pays fees to the bank.
  3. In this time of Covid when I minimize my indoor exposures, I have to go into a bank to transfer the funds or use a network ATM in a grocery store.

Must have been a buddy of Mnuchin that runs the issuing bank…

16

I got mt debit card last week. What I did was:

  • Activated the card
  • Went to the card website (“eipcard.com”)
  • Created an account
  • Verified my balance ($600.00 in my case)
  • Transferred the balance to my Credit Union (need routing code & account number)
  • Waited a couple of days and it showed up in my Credit Union account

So some work required but pretty straightforward. No extra fees charged.

17

Do you have a reference for this? I can’t find anything like that on an IRS page, and the USPS page just points back to the IRS. I ask because it may be relevant in my situation – I changed my address in between the two EIPs via USPS COA and IRS 8822; Get My Payment accepts both my old and new addresses, but it won’t tell me which one the IRS used. (The reason I’m getting a check for the second EIP instead of a direct deposit as I did for the first is a whole other story.)

18

I work for them in a call center, and it’s what we’re told to tell people. I don’t know if there’s anywhere that’s made clear to the public, though. Unfortunately the EIP number I gave before has been disabled and we’re told to tell everyone to check Get My Payment online. (Of course they don’t tell us what we’re supposed to tell people when that doesn’t work. Natch.) I’d recommend calling Accounts Management 1-800-829-1040 and find out what address they currently have for you. If its your new address, they may be able to tell you when it switched as well.