Every stimulus check is followed by a letter signed by President Biden and sent by the IRS. This is Notice 1444-C containing all details of your payment. Be sure to retain it as it will be needed when you file your 2021 taxes or if you haven’t received your stimulus payment yet.
The authorities have completed sending out 165 million payments by either direct transfer or the US postal service. This includes the plus-up payments. Every payment is followed by a notice signed by the President of the United States. The letter is vital if you have received the incorrect payment, or have not received it even though it has been sent by the IRS.
Waiting Period Before Claiming Your Stimulus Check
The third stimulus check date has coincided with the tax season. So it is natural that there have been errors in calculation and the numbers are quite high. As the Get My Payment tracker does not reveal the amount of the Economic Impact Payment, it is necessary to keep an official record of it. And the notice from the IRS is the only bit of paper that confirms you’re the amount sent to you.
The days you wait before filing for a payment trace varies with the mode of your payment. If a direct deposit has been made, you should wait for 5 days before making the payment. If a check has been mailed to a standard address the maximum waiting period should be 4 weeks. It is 6 and 9 weeks respectively for checks mailed through the USPS to a forwarded or a foreign address.
Notice 1444-C That Follows Your Stimulus Check Is The Only Official Copy
You will not get a copy of the letter if you have misplaced it. But you can log into the IRS site and get the details contained in it. That should help you if you have to claim any missing stimulus amount or file a payment trace with the IRS.
The cutoff date for filing the 2020 tax returns passed on May 17. You can still request an extension to claim any pending amount through an RRC. That would be necessary if you have missed out on any payment from the first and second stimulus check.
How Will Notice 1444-C Sent By The IRS Help You?
The notice sent by the IRS officially endorses your payment and contains several important details. It reveals the amount paid to you and the mode of payment (direct transfer or mail).
There is also a piece of advice at the end to get help from the tracker (Get My Payment) or call the helpline number if you haven’t received your stimulus check.
If any part of the payment has been left out, say any dependent was excluded, you should use the letter to trace your payment.
Notice 1444-C will also be needed when you file your tax returns for 2021 next year. You will need it to claim any amount due through a recovery rebate credit filed along with your tax returns next year.
You can claim any amount missing from the previous stimulus checks issued last year by entering the full amount in the 1040 tax forms (1040-SR for seniors). The amount has to be entered in line 30.
Be Sure To Update Your Mailing Address With Both The IRS And The USPS
Any notice from the IRS is mailed to the address entered in their records. The same applies to Notice 1444-C. you have to update your mailing address both with the USPS and the IRS every time you change your address.
What If You Fail To Receive Your Letter From The IRS, Or Lose It?
The IRS notice to the recipients contains three important bits of information – the amount sent, the mode of payment, and how to report if you do not receive the payment. Each bit of information is vital but the IRS doesn’t send a duplicate copy if you do not receive it or misplace your copy.
So if you do not have the copy can view the amount sent through the online account.
And if you have a copy of the letter, keep this document with all the other important tax papers. This includes W2s from employers, 1099 from banks and other payers, and any other income records and documents to support tax deductions.
And if you have accidentally discarded or lost the letter, be sure to also note the stimulus check you have received and inform your tax adviser.
Registering Online To Look Up Your IRS Account For The Details In Notice 1444-C
The letter sent by the IRS is important as it is the sole copy. It is a confirmation of your stimulus check. But you can always go online to retrieve the information contained in Notice 1444-C signed by President Biden.
The registration process to log in to your account takes only 15 minutes. The IRS will email and then send you a couple of activation codes as part of the activation process.
If you do not get the codes in your mail, the IRS will send a letter with the activation codes. It will take anything between 7 to 10 days for the letter to reach you. You can use the free tool from the IRS to track your letter.
Once you have completed the setup process, you should check your account for the information contained in the letter. There is the possibility of the information not being available online. The IRS has said that they are in the process of updating information and it will be completed in the next couple of weeks.
