Don't Mess With Taxes

The Internal Revenue Service said this afternoon that its new Get My Payment online tracking tool is "operating smoothly and effectively."

OK. Maybe I just caught Get My Payment, which is supposed to let taxpayers check on the status of their COVID-19 economic relief payment or add banking information so it can be directly deposited, at a brief glitchy moment.

Apparently, according to the tax agency's statement, my experience, which I recounted earlier today in my tracking tool troubles post, was not the norm. But then again, what is normal in coronavirus tax time?

IRS says things are A-OK: "As of mid-day today, more than 6.2 million taxpayers have successfully received their payment status and almost 1.1 million taxpayers have successfully provided banking information, ensuring a direct deposit will be quickly sent," according to the IRS statement.

The agency added that it "is actively monitoring site volume; if site volume gets too high, users are sent to an online 'waiting room' for a brief wait until space becomes available, much like private sector online sites."

And then it gets to what, at least to me, looks like the main the reason for the statement.

"Media reports saying the tool 'crashed' are inaccurate," said the IRS.

Partial success: Let me be clear. The Get My Payment tool didn't crash for me. In fact, it told me the hubby and I were eligible for the payment.

But that's the limit of the information the tool would provide.

As I worked through the steps to find out when and how it would be delivered, Get My Payment indicated that the IRS doesn't have information that, based on my prior tax filing history and IRS' earlier comments about delivery methods, it should have to directly deposit my payment.

And when, as prompted by the tool, I went to the next step to (re)enter it, Get My Payment wouldn't accept my bank data. I got a message that some of my data did not match what was in IRS records, although the agency had used it as recently as my 2018 tax return filing last year.

Then I was kicked off the tracking tool for 24 hours.

I'll check it again tomorrow to see if I have better luck and let you know.

So how has your Not Tax Day COVID-19 economic relief payment tracking day gone?

Other payment issues: I suppose I should consider myself lucky. Before being bounced off the site, Get My Payment told me that the hubby and I are eligible for some COVID-19 cash.

Others were left in more limbo. They were told their payment status was not available.

In these cases, according to the IRS, Get My Payment will give you a "Status Not Available" message. That could happen, says the IRS, if:

1. you are not eligible for a payment or
2. you are required to file a tax return and have not filed in tax year 2018 or 2019.

For those in the second category, you can provide information through the IRS' non-filers' online page so that you'll be put (hopefully) in the COVID-19 economic relief payment queue.

Remember, too, you do not have to use the non-filers' option if you are receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or veterans' benefits. The IRS is working with these paying agencies and will automatically issue your coronavirus payments using the information and method of delivery (usually direct deposit) by which you get your benefits.

Finally, if you know anyone who would like to use Get My Payment but is uncomfortable doing so because their native language is Spanish, the IRS says it expects to post a Spanish language version of the tracking tool in a few weeks.

Advertisements