What "Get My Payment" Does and Who Should Use It

Get My Payment is the IRS tool that shows you the status of federal tax refunds, advance Child Tax Credit payments, Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks), and other money the IRS has sent or plans to send to your account. It does not process new requests or change where money goes — it only tells you what the IRS has already recorded about a payment you are owed.

You should use Get My Payment if you filed a tax return and are waiting for a refund, received a stimulus payment during the pandemic and want to confirm it arrived, or are tracking advance Child Tax Credit monthly deposits. The tool works best when you have your Social Security number, date of birth, and filing status on hand, because the IRS uses those to find your record.

Get My Payment does not work for payments you initiated yourself — like estimated tax payments you sent to the IRS, or payments you made through your bank's bill pay system. Those show up in your bank records, not in Get My Payment.

Key Takeaways

  • Get My Payment shows refund status, stimulus payment tracking, and advance Child Tax Credit deposits, but only for money the IRS owes you, not money you sent to the IRS.
  • You access Get My Payment through IRS.gov by entering your Social Security number, date of birth, and filing status — no login account required.
  • The tool updates once per day, usually overnight, so checking multiple times in one day will show the same information.
  • If Get My Payment says your payment was sent but you have not received it, the next step depends on the payment type and how long ago it was supposed to arrive.
  • Refunds typically take 21 days from the date the IRS accepts your return, but can take longer if the return needs review or correction.

How to Access Get My Payment on IRS.gov

Go to irs.gov and search for "Get My Payment" in the search box at the top of the page. The IRS link will take you to a page with a button labeled "Get My Payment Tool." Click it.

You will be asked for three pieces of information: your Social Security number, your date of birth (in MM/DD/YYYY format), and your filing status from your most recent tax return. Filing status means single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or may have access to widow(er). You do not need to create an account or log in with an IRS user ID — the tool works without one.

After you enter that information, the IRS verifies it against its records and shows you a status screen. If the information does not match what the IRS has on file, you will see an error message. This usually means a typo in your Social Security number or date of birth, or that the IRS has not yet processed your return. Try again with your information double-checked.

What Each Payment Status Means

Get My Payment shows one of several statuses. "Payment Status Not Available" means the IRS does not have a record of a payment for you yet. This is normal if you filed your return fewer than 21 days ago, or if you have not filed at all. Check back after 21 days have passed since the IRS accepted your return.

"Refund Approved" means the IRS has processed your return and approved your refund, but has not yet sent it. The tool will show the date the IRS expects to deposit it into your bank account or mail it as a check. Refunds sent by direct deposit usually arrive within one to two business days of that date. Refunds mailed as checks take seven to ten business days after the date shown.

"Refund Sent" means the IRS has already sent your refund. The tool shows the date it was sent and the method — direct deposit or check. If you chose direct deposit and the tool says it was sent more than two business days ago, contact your bank to confirm the deposit has not been delayed on their end. If you chose a check and it was sent more than ten business days ago, you may need to report it as missing.

For stimulus payments and advance Child Tax Credit deposits, the status will show whether the payment was sent and the date. These payments are usually sent in batches, so the date shown is when your batch was processed, not necessarily when it hit your account.

What to Do If Your Payment Was Sent but You Have Not Received It

The first step depends on how the payment was supposed to arrive. If it was a direct deposit refund and the tool says it was sent more than two business days ago, log into your bank account and check your transaction history. Banks sometimes deposit refunds into a different account than the one you specified on your return — for example, if you have multiple checking accounts linked to your Social Security number.

If you cannot find the deposit in any of your accounts, call your bank's customer service line and give them the date the IRS said it sent the refund. The bank can search their records to see whether they received it. If they did receive it, they can tell you which account it went to. If they did not, ask the bank to provide you with a written statement that they have no record of the deposit — you will need this if you contact the IRS.

If the payment was mailed as a check and more than ten business days have passed since the date shown in Get My Payment, the check may have been lost in the mail. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time) and tell them the check has not arrived. They can issue a replacement check or, in some cases, send the money by direct deposit instead. Have your Social Security number and the date the check was supposed to be mailed ready when you call.

For stimulus payments and advance Child Tax Credit deposits, use the same approach: check your bank account first, then contact your bank if you cannot find it. If your bank has no record of receiving it, contact the IRS.

Why Get My Payment Sometimes Shows "Payment Status Not Available"

This message appears most often when you check the tool before 21 days have passed since the IRS accepted your return. The IRS processes returns in the order they are received, and refunds are not approved until the return has been fully reviewed. Checking the tool before that window closes will not speed up the process.

It can also appear if you have not filed a return yet, or if you filed but the IRS has not received it. If you filed electronically through a tax software or tax preparer, the return should reach the IRS within 24 hours. If you mailed a paper return, it can take two to four weeks to arrive, depending on mail delivery times in your area.

In rare cases, "Payment Status Not Available" means the IRS is still reviewing your return because something on it does not match their records — for example, a name change, a dependent you claimed who was also claimed by someone else, or income reported by your employer that does not match what you reported. The IRS will contact you by mail if this is the case, usually within 30 days of receiving your return.

Refund Timing: Why 21 Days Is the Starting Point, Not the may provide

The IRS publishes a standard of 21 days from the date it accepts your return to the date it approves your refund. This is the timeline for returns that have no issues and are filed electronically. It is not a may provide — it is the time the IRS aims for under normal circumstances.

Several things can extend this timeline. If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is required by law to hold your refund until mid-February, even if your return is accepted in January. If your return is selected for review — which happens to a small percentage of returns each year — the IRS will contact you by mail with questions, and your refund will not be approved until you respond. If you filed a paper return instead of electronically, add two to four weeks to the timeline for the return to arrive at the IRS first.

Get My Payment will show you the most current expected date once your return has been processed. That date can change if the IRS finds an issue that needs to be resolved.

When to Contact the IRS Instead of Using Get My Payment

Get My Payment is a tracking tool, not a customer service channel. If you need to report a missing payment, correct information on your return, or ask a question about your refund, you will need to contact the IRS directly.

Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time). Have your Social Security number, date of birth, and filing status ready. Wait times are longest in the morning and during tax season (January through April), so calling in the afternoon or after tax season may be faster.

You can also mail a letter to the IRS address shown on your tax return's instructions, or use the IRS website to find a local Taxpayer information Center where you can speak to someone in person. The IRS also offers a callback service on irs.gov — you can request a call instead of waiting on hold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Get My Payment to check on a payment I made to the IRS?

No. Get My Payment only tracks money the IRS owes you. If you sent a payment to the IRS — through your bank, a payment processor, or by mail — check your bank statement or the payment confirmation you received. The IRS does not track outgoing payments in Get My Payment.

Why does Get My Payment say my refund was sent but my bank says they never received it?

The most common reason is that the refund was sent to a different account than the one you checked. If you have multiple bank accounts, check all of them. If you still cannot find it after checking all accounts, contact your bank with the date the IRS said it sent the refund, and ask them to search their records. If they have no record of it, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

How often does Get My Payment update?

Get My Payment updates once per day, usually overnight. Checking it multiple times in one day will show the same information. There is no benefit to checking more than once per day.

What if Get My Payment asks for information I do not have?

Get My Payment requires your Social Security number, date of birth, and filing status. If you do not remember your filing status, look at a previous tax return or the instructions for the form you filed. If you do not have your Social Security number memorized, check a tax document, bank statement, or your Social Security card. If you still cannot access the tool, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Can I use Get My Payment to check on someone else's refund?

No. Get My Payment requires the Social Security number and personal information of the person whose refund you are tracking. You cannot check on a refund for a spouse, dependent, or anyone else without their information and permission. If you are a tax preparer or representative, you may be able to access this information through a different IRS system, but not through Get My Payment.