Do I need to amend my accepted 2019 Return to get my COVID-19 check because I owed no tax, and got no refund because I had no withholding?

[tometheridge]

Because I get no refund, my Return did not contain any direct deposit information. I do, however, get my Social Security check by direct deposit.

[DoninGA]

See this IRS website for information - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payments-what-you-need-to-know

[tometheridge]

The applicable entry on the IRS website you reference seems to be:

"The IRS does not have my direct deposit information. What can I do?

In the coming weeks, Treasury plans to develop a web-based portal for individuals to provide their banking information to the IRS online, so that individuals can receive payments immediately as opposed to checks in the mail."

No information is provided about when or how I will be able to provide my banking information to the IRS. Why don't they just use the information the Social Security Administration already uses to send me my monthly benefit check?

[DoninGA]

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@tometheridge wrote:

Why don't they just use the information the Social Security Administration already uses to send me my monthly benefit check?

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Since you receive SS benefits the stimulus payment will be sent to the same bank account as your SS monthly payment.

See this US Treasury website - https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm967

[tometheridge]

Hi DoninGA,

I’m a GA boy too.

The information in https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm967 applies to Social Security recipients who did not file tax returns for 2018 or 2019. I filed my tax return for 2019 in January, 2020. Therefore, it is not clear that this press release applies to me. I hope it does, but I could use some reassurance.

tometheridge

[DoninGA]

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@tometheridge wrote:

Hi DoninGA,

I’m a GA boy too.

The information in https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm967 applies to Social Security recipients who did not file tax returns for 2018 or 2019. I filed my tax return for 2019 in January, 2020. Therefore, it is not clear that this press release applies to me. I hope it does, but I could use some reassurance.

tometheridge

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My assumption is that if you filed a 2019 tax return and you either had no taxes owed or had taxes owed then the stimulus will be sent to the same bank account as your SS monthly payment. 

Or if you had a tax refund on the 2019 tax return that was filed and you selected direct deposit for the federal tax refund, the stimulus payment will be deposited to the same account as the federal tax refund.  So either way you will receive the stimulus as a direct deposit.

If have filed my 2019 federal tax return with taxes owed and selected direct debit from my bank account with a date in July for the account to be debited.  Since I also receive SS benefits, my stimulus payment will be sent to the same account as the SS monthly payments.

[tometheridge]

I'm afraid your assumption is incorrect. The "Get My Payment" app is finally active, and when I went there to check on my status, it said I am eligible for the payment, but that the IRS does not have my direct deposit information. On the "Bank Account Information" page, under "Additional Verification Information," it says "Did you receive a refund or did you owe money?" Then there is a selection button for each answer. You must select one or the other, or an error stops you on that page and your banking information is not accepted. But in my case, I neither received a refund nor owed money. Clearly a bug in the software. (Curiously, entering 0 in the box after "Refund amount or amount you owed" is accepted.) Anyway, I don't want to wait for snail mail, or worse wait indefinitely until a live person decides to drop by the IRS to see if it's still there and notices my problem. So what can I do?

[tometheridge]

Let me be clear.  On my Form 1040-SR, e-filed in January via TurboTax (free version), Line 16 total tax was 0. Line19 total payments was blank. Line 20 overpaid was blank. Line 21a refunded to you was blank. Line 21b Routing number was filled with an x in all 9 spaces. Line 21c Type had blank boxes for both Checking and Savings. Line21d Account number was filled with an x in all 17 spaces. Line 22 applied to your 2020 estimated tax was blank. And Line 23 Amount you owe was 0. Despite the fact that this Form 1040-SR was accepted by the IRS in January, the Get My Payment software will not accept my bank account information with these true facts on its form. I'm sure if I had not filed this year, I would have already received my direct deposit based on my Social Security information, but before the legislation raising the standard deduction last year I had to itemize to owe zero tax, and that legislation is not permanent, so I was simply continuing to file each year to maintain continuity of filing just in case. Now I'm afraid this software bug will keep me from getting the impact payment at all.

[DMarkM1]

With there being zeroes on your refund lines the banking information would not be allowed on your returns.  However, if you are receiving social security through a direct deposit it is probable your stimulus payment will arrive there.  Payments are being processed each week. Do keep checking for updates on the IRS site. You will get the payment.  

[DoninGA]

@tometheridge 

You should be using the non-filers website - https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here

[jwr2]

How do I correct my 2019 tax return ?  I can't get a copy of it.

[tometheridge]

Can I use the non-filers web site even though I actually did e-file in January using the TurboTax free version?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

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@tometheridge wrote:

Can I use the non-filers web site even though I actually did e-file in January using the TurboTax free version?

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Since you filed the 2019 tax return and had no tax refund and had no taxes owed, then there was no bank account information entered on the 2019 tax return you filed.

Since you receive SS payments the stimulus will be sent to the account where you receive the SS monthly benefits.

[tometheridge]

Since your answer contained no qualifiers this time, I will accept it and watch my bank account for the deposit. I'll let you know when I get it (or if I don't, by say, May Day).

Thanks

[tometheridge]

I'm afraid your answer turned out to be incorrect after all. I went back to "Get My Payment" to check on my status and got the following answer:

"Payment Status

We scheduled your check to be mailed on April 24, 2020 to the address we have on file for you.

We will mail you a letter with additional information on this payment.

If you need additional help or do not receive your payment, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page."

This is exactly what I did NOT want to happen. I should have been able to get this payment easily by direct deposit. Instead I have to wait an extra month because NOBODY at the IRS will deign to communicate with ANYBODY, not by phone, or chat, or even email. And you and the rest of the support community insisted on accepting your interpretation of the Treasury/IRS Press Release titled "Social Security Recipients Will Automatically Receive Economic Impact Payments." I am no expert, but even I can understand the plain text of this press release, which states in the third paragraph that it applies to "Social Security recipients who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019." I said several times that I DID file a tax return for 2019. If I knew how, I would take back my Cheer, and my Best Answer selection. If there is an answer, it seems to be too late for it now.