The Department of the Treasury and the IRS have announced two new online portals where Americans can submit their bank account information as the Treasury prepares to send checks as part of a coronavirus relief package.
Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passed by Congress at the end of March, millions of Americans will receive $1,200 deposits from the federal government in an attempt to ease the economic pain on families and individuals caused by workplace furloughs and layoffs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IRS, however, needs bank account information of Americans in order to send the payments electronically. For taxpayers who didn’t file tax returns in 2018 or 2019, the IRS will have to send paper checks, which won’t be sent until early May, according to Politico.
In an effort to “speed payments," a Treasury news release said April 10, the IRS and Treasury launched a new web portal, “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here,” where people who didn’t file a tax return the last two years can input bank information to receive their payments.
"The ‘Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here’ web portal is a tool for Americans who are not required to file tax returns to make sure they receive their payment as quickly and safely as possible,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “Our teams at Treasury and the IRS are working around the clock to ensure American workers and families receive their Economic Impact Payments.”
In the same release, the IRS announced that later this month it will launch a second online application, dubbed “Get My Payment,” that will allow taxpayers who didn’t set up direct deposit tax returns to submit their banking information to receive their money faster. The tool will also allow taxpayers to track the status of their payment.
Andrew Eversden covers all things defense technology for C4ISRNET. He previously reported on federal IT and cybersecurity for Federal Times and Fifth Domain, and worked as a congressional reporting fellow for the Texas Tribune. He was also a Washington intern for the Durango Herald. Andrew is a graduate of American University.
