Consumer Information & Branch Updates
Updated 6/2/2020
Your EIP Debit Card
While many people have received their Economic Impact Payments via direct deposit or check, some are receiving it via a mailed debit card. These cards are authorized by the IRS. For information on how to activate the card, how to use it, or how to find your balance, you may visit EIPcard.com.
Updated 5/18/2020
Free Weekly Credit Reports Are Available
Due to the financial strain that many are now feeling, everyone is eligible to get free weekly credit reports from the three national credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. To get your free reports, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. The credit reporting agencies are making these reports free for the next year.
Updated 5/11/2020
Economic Impact Payment Information
As part of the CARES Act, individual workers, independent contractors, and freelancers are entitled to receive a onetime $1,200 payment ($2,400 for married couples) from the IRS, plus an additional $500 per dependent 16 years or younger. The payments commenced on April 15.
In order to qualify for the full amount, you have to have earned $75,000 or less in the prior year ($150,000 or less if married and filing jointly). Above those income levels, the stimulus payment decreases until it stops for single people earning $99,000 or married couples who have no children and earn $198,000. You can use your 2019 tax return, or your 2018 return if you've not yet filed this year, to see the income amount the IRS will use to calulte your payment.
So, how do you receive the payment? If you've filed taxes for either 2019 or 2018, your payment will be sent automatically. Those with direct deposit information on file with the IRS will have the payment sent electronically, while all others will have checks mailed to them.
Watch out for Coronavirus Scams- Retirees, Especially
The IRS and its Criminal Investigation Division have seen a wave of new and evolving phishing schemes against taxpayers. In most cases, the IRS will deposit economic impact payments into the direct deposit account taxpayers previously provided on tax returns. If the IRS does not have a taxpayer's direct deposit information, a check will be mailed to the address on file.
The IRS also reminds retirees who don't normally have a requirement to file a tax return that no action on their part is needed to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment. Seniors should be especially careful during this period. The IRS reminds retirees – including recipients of Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 − that no one from the agency will be reaching out to them by phone, email, mail or in person asking for any kind of information to complete their economic impact payment. The IRS is sending these $1,200 payments automatically to retirees – no additional action or information is needed on their part to receive this.
The IRS reminds taxpayers that scammers may:
- Emphasize the words "Stimulus Check" or "Stimulus Payment." The official term is economic impact payment.
- Ask the taxpayer to sign over their economic impact payment check to them.
- Ask by phone, email, text or social media for verification of personal and/or banking information saying that the information is needed to receive or speed up their economic impact payment.
- Suggest that they can get a tax refund or economic impact payment faster by working on the taxpayer's behalf. This scam could be conducted by social media or even in person.
- Mail the taxpayer a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, then tell the taxpayer to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.