The IRS tool reads "payment status not available" and won't allow me to input any direct deposit information. My 18-19 tax returns were received. Whats holding this up?

[Texas Roger]

When did you file your 2018 and 2019 tax returns? Did you efile your 2019 return? The IRS will not schedule the stimulus payment until either your 2018 or 2019 tax return is completely processed. The IRS only started processing returns again on 4/26/20 after several weeks of not processing returns due to the virus and launching the stimulus payment so they must now catch up. 

What does the IRS tracking web site say about the status of your 2019 refund?

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

See this Q&A for the IRS process in normal times: https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

[kefaigen]

Thanks for the quick answer. 

I filed 2019 on 4/17 and my 2018 returns were in well before deadline last year (Feb 2019). I owed money both times, so I can't use their refund tools to figure out my returns' status. But the delay in returns makes sense. Here's hoping that's the problem? 

[Texas Roger]

You should have been able to go on the Get My Payment site and enter your direct deposit information if your 2018 return had been processed. It may be too late to do that now but you can check: Get My Payment | Internal Revenue Service

[kefaigen]

This is the problem, right? I should have been able to do that, but I keep getting met with "Payment status not available" - I've tried for two weeks now: the "all caps" trick, that various iterations of my address (St vs Street, Unit 10 vs no unit vs the exact way its written on my returns). I've tried all this with my husbands social, too (since we file jointly). I'm out of ideas. And spending an hour on the IRS phone service gets me nowhere. Any other suggestions?