Technical glitches prevent millions from getting IRS stimulus checks

Still waiting on that stimulus check? If so, you could be a victim of the numerous glitches currently plaguing the IRS, according to a new report from the .

Tens of millions of people who use tax preparation services like H&R Block, TurboTax and Jackson Hewitt to file with the IRS each year have yet to receive their stimulus check. The reason? Well, it all has to do with how these companies get paid for their services.

When filing your tax returns, these preparers set up a temporary bank account with the IRS. So, the IRS actually sends H&R Block or TurboTax your tax refund first. These companies then deduct their fees and send you the rest. So if the IRS doesn’t have a consumer’s banking information on file, the government has nowhere to send their direct deposit.

People have also reportedly complained about getting the message “Payment Status Not Available” when checking the meant to let them know when their stimulus checks are arriving. 

One of the reasons you might receive this message has to do with the status of your 2019 tax return. If you’ve filed it already, but the IRS has yet to process it, you’ll be met with that frustrating message.

There have also been reports of a separate website glitch for people trying to apply for the stimulus who either owe nothing in taxes, or did not file in 2018 or 2019, according to The Washington Post.

Furthermore, if you try to access the IRS’ website multiple times, people are finding they get locked out for “too many attempts.” These users are also discovering that the IRS is preventing users from changing their bank account information as a fraud prevention measure. 

Even Americans who’ve already received their stimulus money aren’t immune from glitches. Some claim they received the wrong amount or didn’t receive the additional $500 for each of their dependent children under the age of 17.

As The Washington Post notes, the IRS is aware of these issues and is currently working on a fix. 

Many of those having direct deposit-related issues will likely need to wait for their physical check to come in the mail. The IRS claims all of these website issues will be addressed, allowing people to check the status of their claims and apply for the stimulus money if they’re a non-filer. There will also be an opportunity for those who received an incorrect amount to report it to the IRS.

Twenty-two million people have now filed for in the U.S. So it’s bad enough that the $1,200 stimulus check is already what other countries are providing their citizens during this pandemic. But it’s even worse that tens of millions of people still have not received it.