Where Is My Stimulus Check? Payments and Eligibility Criteria

If your question is “Where is my stimulus check?” you can find it by tracking it. Some taxpayers are still trying to get their economic impact payments or claim the money they are owed. 

There have been several rounds of payment. Yet, not everyone, or every family eligible, has gotten their money in full. Just like your stimulus check, you may need your pay stubs for financial transactions. And you can easily get them with a paystub generator.

In this resource, we help you answer “Where is my stimulus check?” You’ll learn the eligibility criteria, how to track your money, and the new state programs that give financial assistance. 

Where Is My Stimulus Check? What Economic Impact Payments Are

To know “Where is my stimulus check?” you need to understand what the economic impact payments are. The Economic Impact Payments that the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service gave out were distributed in three rounds. The initial payment made was up to $1,200 per adult. The second one was about $600 per person. And for the third, the eligible taxpayers got up to $1,400 per person. The stimulus funds were to assist American families in meeting their basic needs during the financial crisis. For example, rent, food, utilities, and medical bills.

For each round, the IRS gave its eligibility criteria. Usually, this has to do with your adjusted gross income, filing status and household size. They use what’s on your tax return to determine the amount you get. Most payments were done through direct deposit, while some people got paper checks. 

Read More: What Is OASDI Tax on Paycheck?

How To Track Your Stimulus Check on Your Internal Revenue Service Account

Now, let’s get to the “Where is my stimulus check?” question properly. To find out where your payment is, you’ll need to check your IRS online account. Go to the IRS website to get access to your account and check your tax records page. There, you can see the total amount you should get. If you were eligible, this can reflect all three payments.

If you didn’t get any confirmation after the payments were issued, you may have missed the payments. The Get My Payment tool no longer works. So, instead, check your tax records to have a proper payment history. That way, you can also get any information on your economic impact payments. 

Where Is My Stimulus Check in 2025? 2025 Stimulus Check Eligibility Requirements

For where is my stimulus check in 2025, there were no additional federal stimulus checks issued in 2025. However, some people still have some missing payments. So, if you are one of them, you can get it through the Recovery Rebate Credit. This will be subject to your 2020 or 2021 tax year income and filing status at the time.

For the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, your adjusted gross income had to fall below a certain amount. Single filers could get a payment with an income that was up to $75,000. For married couples filing jointly, the limit was $150,000. For those who filed as head of household, it was limited to $112,500.

Families eligible were given an extra $1,400 for each qualifying child or other qualifying dependent. That even included adult dependents in the third round. This was a great difference compared to the previous payments. Those ones did not cover persons above the age of 17.

You need to have a valid Social Security number to receive the credit. Also, you cannot be a dependent on another person’s tax return. Married filing jointly individuals also needed the Social Security numbers of both persons. All this was to ensure that only those eligible got the financial relief.

Also Read: Do Minors Have To Pay Taxes? Teens and Income Taxes Explained

The 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit 

If you did not get a first or second payment, you may claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return. This tax credit lets you calculate what uou should have gotten. However, it is based on your gross income and filing status at that time.

This second payment used almost the same thresholds as the first one. But the payment here was $600 per person. However, some other filing status categories had other income limitations. For example, if you were a qualifying widow, your payment amount would change.

Check Out: Make W-2 forms easily with our online W2 generator

The 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit

When the American Rescue Plan Act came around, it approved the third round of payments in March 2021. Some people also missed this payment. If you are one of those, you can still claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit by filing your tax return.

Recently, the IRS announced special payments for about one million taxpayers. These persons had left the Recovery Rebate Credit blank on their newly filed tax returns. They began making the automatic payments in December 2024. For those who qualify, they may get their money in their bank account or a paper check. 

Also, some eligible families who had gotten smaller amounts actually got plus-up payments. However, this may depend on the deadline that the IRS has set for recovery.

State Stimulus Programs

To answer “Where is my stimulus check?”, you may get it from your state. Some states also have their own relief programs in place to help their residents:

$725 Stimulus Checks California 2025 Eligibility

California has rolled out a pilot economic support program. This program is available to low-income families in Sacramento County. This is restricted to families that have children who are below the age of six years. And it’s even for only some Sacramento zip codes .

The Sacramento Family First program is for 200 households that were chosen. They get a monthly payment of $725 through November 2025. The participants must have a household income that is less than 200% of the federal poverty level.

$800 Stimulus State Relief Eligibility

Many other states also have their own relief programs that are different from federal relief. This $800 stimulus state relief eligibility varies by location. 

One is the TABOR program in Colorado. This one gives a refund if the state gathers more revenue than needed. Single filers can get up to $800. Married filing joint individuals can qualify for up to $1,600. To get this, you have to make sure you check and meet the deadline. For example, you had to have submitted your 2023 Colorado tax return by the 15th of April 2024.

Pennsylvania also gives property tax rebates up to $800 for seniors and persons with disabilities who qualify. Their earned income also has to fall below a specific level. The goal is to help them meet their basic needs.

Check Out: Create pay stubs with correct tax information with our free paystub templates.

How To Manage Your Economic Impact Payments

Once you find the answer to “Where is my stimulus check?”, you need to manage your payments properly. Here’s how:

1. Checking Your Tax Records

Create your personal account on the IRS.gov site so that you can view your entire payment history. The dates and the exact amounts of the three stimulus checks show up on your tax records page. So, you can determine whether you are eligible to get the Recovery Rebate Credit. Do this before you file your next tax return.

2. Income Tax Implications

Stimulus payments are not subject to income tax. You do not have to pay taxes on the money, and it will not reduce your refund. The amounts were advance tax credits, rather than taxable income.

However, you need to report these payments on your tax return. When you do so, you can calculate any Recovery Rebate Credit that you may be owed. 

3. Updating Your Tax Information

You do not want your tax information to be out of date. Always update your address if it changes and provide correct bank account details. This ensures you can get any payment faster through direct deposit.

4. Filing Early

Doing your tax filing early helps you reduce errors and means that your payments are processed early. Accurate information can help avoid delays in payments. When you claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, IRS worksheets may also help you to check your calculations.

Further Reading: A Complete Guide to Voiding Checks

Final Verdict

Finding “Where is my stimulus check?” means you have to actively try to get your payments. Even if there are no new federal checks right now, you can always claim your missing payments. That’s if you qualify. Remember to review your tax records to check for any payments you may have missed. By doing so, you make sure that you get every dollar of direct financial relief that you are entitled to.

As you review your tax records, you also need to check your pay stubs for some information. Our stub generator can help you create pay stubs that can help during tax time.