Coronavirus stimulus check issues: Direct deposit mixups reported during first round of payments
Illinois (WLS) -- Issues with the first round of IRS stimulus checks have been reported, including missing money, payments being deposited into the wrong bank accounts, and, in other cases, lower than expected amounts.
The biggest issue consumers appear to be encountering seems to be the deposit process itself.
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Latish Macon said when she checked payment status for her stimulus check on the IRS website, the alert told her it was deposited into a different bank account. She said the account was never on file and never attached to any W-2 or other tax forms.
"I didn't know what was going on because I had never seen never had an account that ended in 2772," Macon told the I-Team. "I tried to call IRS, and none of the numbers on the website. I couldn't get through to any of the numbers."
Macon said her tax preparer told her that the Treasury Department made a mistake and deposited her money into her tax preparer's bank account.
Her tax preparer, Chera Small from Windy City Tax Solutions, verified the issue and said it happened to at least 300 of her clients.
"The money went to the banks that service the tax preparation companies, it never went to the tax payers bank accounts," explained Small. "They are left waiting and I am upset."
Small said the money is being sent back from the wrong bank to the Treasury Department; then her clients should eventually get their money.
"My income, undeducted, is very low so I could have used that money today," said Macon.
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Other viewers said strange, low amounts, like $50, are being deposited into their accounts.
Remember, if you qualify for the stimulus money, it is supposed to be deposited directly in your account on file. If you don't use electronic deposit for your tax returns, a paper check will be sent in the mail.
Wednesday, the IRS launched a Get My Payment website so they can add an account for a direct deposit, but that feature was experiencing "capacity problems."
The I-Team reached out to the U.S. Treasury Department about Macon's account error and others and have not heard back.
Click here to visit the IRS's website on economic impact payments
