The most up-to-date count indicates that more than 85 percent of the $450 billion total earmarked for coronavirus stimulus checks under President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan already has been disbursed.  

In all, this amounts to one hundred sixty-one million stimulus payments, valued at more than $379 billion, that have hit struggling Americans’ bank accounts and mailboxes.  

There’s no question that plenty of Americans have been helped with the extra cash and the effort should be applauded, but there appear to be thousands of Americans who are still struggling to get their hands on the stimulus cash—even from the first two rounds of the stimulus funds.  

However, there is great news. For those individuals who are still waiting patiently for one or more stimulus check payments, there is time to claim the money due from the U.S. government. That deadline, though, is fast approaching—and will close on the IRS extended Tax Day of May 17. The advice is to take action immediately.  

The federal government for weeks has been urging Americans who do not receive federal benefits or typically file tax returns to submit one this year in order to provide their necessary payment information to receive the cash. The IRS has reminded those impacted that for this particular tax season, a Recovery Rebate Credit is part of all returns so that people can eventually access their overdue payments.  

According to the IRS website, it says that “if you didn’t get any payments or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit even if you don’t normally file.”  

It also advises that individuals keep the form they receive regarding their stimulus payment and refer to it when filing their tax returns.  

Know that U.S. taxpayers can also speak to a live human regarding their missing stimulus checks—though this is not recommended. The IRS Economic Impact Payment phone number is 800-919-9835 but be warned that “IRS live phone assistance is extremely limited at this time,” says the agency’s website.  

This means that individuals should be prepared to wait on hold for a considerable amount of time.

In the meantime, if an individual gets a confirmation letter—also known as Notice 1444 or Notice 1444-B—from the IRS stating that their check was issued even though they haven’t seen any form of payment, they can request an IRS payment trace.  

Keep in mind that similar action can be taken if the IRS “Get My Payment” tool shows that the stimulus payments have been transferred but the balance has not changed in the recipient’s bank account.  

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.  

Image: Reuters