It is true that the Internal Revenue Service is in the final weeks of disbursing the remaining 14 percent of the $1,400 coronavirus stimulus checks under the American Rescue Plan.

And for those individuals who have yet to see the money enter their bank accounts or mailboxes, perhaps it is best to finally accept the hard truth that they may never get a stimulus payment.

Do take note that there could be a reasonable explanation for leaving these taxpayers on the stimulus check sidelines. Here’s a quick rundown of what may have happened.

Don’t Qualify

Know that the IRS has continuously reminded all U.S. taxpayers that the income levels in this third round of stimulus have changed—meaning that some individuals won’t be eligible for this payment even if they received a first or second stimulus check without any issues. According to the details of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion legislation, those who earn as much as $75,000 in adjusted gross income, or couples making $150,000, qualify for the full $1,400 per person. But an individual with an income of $80,000, or a couple with $160,000, will receive nothing this time around.  

Physical Check or Debit Card Sent Out

Taxpayers who already had direct deposit set up generally received their stimulus first. But those who were sent physical checks or prepaid debit cards may still have to wait a while. As for the most recent ninth batch of checks, keep in mind that out of the nearly one million payments worth $1.8 billion, about five hundred thousand of them were sent out via direct deposits and the remainder as paper checks or prepaid debit cards.

Didn’t File Tax Returns

Be aware that the majority of the recent batches of payments targeted tax filers who previously did not have the necessary information on file at the IRS. The agency needs up-to-date addresses and account and routing numbers to process the funds. “Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to urge people who don’t normally file a tax return and haven’t received Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the benefits they’re entitled to under the law, including tax credits such as the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit,” the IRS stated.

Money Was Garnished

For the current round of $1,400 checks, taxpayers can rest easy knowing that the payments cannot be garnished for unpaid federal debts or back taxes. But know that they can indeed be garnished for unpaid private debts, which can include overdue medical bills and credit card debts. Do keep in mind that garnishment is a court order that allows for money to be removed from an individual’s bank account—and banks generally must comply with a court’s demands.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.