Stimulus Update: How to Find Out Where Your Stimulus Money Is

This IRS tool is the ticket to learning where your money is.

Most Americans were eligible for thousands of dollars of stimulus money in 2021 as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act.

This stimulus money included $1,400 direct payments for eligible adults and dependents as well as up to $3,600 per child thanks to an expanded Child Tax Credit. While many people saw their entire $1,400 stimulus check and half of their expanded Child Tax Credit deposited into their bank account last year, this wasn't the case for everyone.

If you were owed a partial or full amount of stimulus money but didn't receive it last year, you could claim the unpaid funds by filing a 2021 tax return. Your stimulus money would either reduce your tax bill if you owed money to the IRS, or would become part of your refund.

Many people have now submitted tax returns to claim their stimulus money since the tax filing deadline was April 18, 2022 (although you still have the option to submit a return if you missed this date). If you're one of the many Americans who sent in your tax forms recently but you didn't yet get your payment, there's an IRS tool that can help you to determine where the money is.

Take advantage of this IRS tool to find out the status of your stimulus funds

If you claimed unpaid stimulus money and it's coming as part of your tax refund, you can find out where your payment is and when you'll receive it by using the Where's My Refund tool on the IRS website. You also have the option to download the IRS2Go app in order to check the status of your refund.

Details about where your money is should be available within 24 hours of the time that you electronically filed your return or within four weeks of the time that you submitted a tax return via mail. The IRS updates the website overnight, so if you use the tool to find out where your money is and it doesn't have the information available yet, you can check back the next day.

You will need to provide your Social Security number or taxpayer ID Number, as well as your filing status and the exact amount of your refund to use this tool. But as long as you have these details available, you can find out exactly where your stimulus funds are so you can plan for when this cash will hit your account and become available for your use.