If your payment was issued by direct deposit, your first step is to check with your bank and make sure they didn’t receive a deposit.
You should request a trace on your Payment if you received Notice 1444 or Get My Payment shows your payment was issued on a specific date, but you have not received it and it has been more than:
- 5 days since the scheduled deposit date
- 4 weeks since it was mailed by check to a standard address
- 6 weeks since it was mailed, and you have a forwarding address on file with the local post office
- 9 weeks since it was mailed, and you have a foreign address
Do not request a Payment trace to determine if you were eligible for a payment, the amount of payment you should have received, or you have not received a Notice 1444 or a payment date from Get My Payment.
How we process your claim
We will process your claim for a missing payment in one of two ways:
- If the check was not cashed, we will issue a replacement. If you find the original check, you must return it as soon as possible.
- If the refund check was cashed, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) will send you a claim package that includes a copy of the cashed check. Follow the instructions. BFS will review your claim and the signature on the canceled check before determining whether they can issue you a replacement check.
You will generally receive a response 6 weeks after we receive your request for a Payment trace, but there may be delays due to limited staffing. Get up-to-date status on affected
IRS operations and services.
A trace on an Economic Impact Payment (EIP) follows the same process as a trace on a tax refund. To start a Payment trace:
- Call us at 800-919-9835 (you may experience long wait times or recorded help because our staffing is limited)
or
- Submit a completed Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund (PDF).
- If you submit the form and you are Married Filing Jointly, both spouses must sign the form;
- Write “EIP” on the top of the form and complete Sections I, II and III;
- Answer the refund questions as they relate to your EIP;
- When completing Number 7 under Section I, check the box for “Individual” as the Type of return; enter “2020” as the tax period and leave the date filed blank;