If you’re hoping for a second COVID-19 stimulus check, it’s looking like you’re going to have to wait until after the November election for Congress to act.
However, there is better financial pandemic payment news for millions of folks who didn’t get the first coronavirus economic impact payment (EIP).
Non-filers left out of first payments: Nearly 9 million individuals missed out on the first payment, notes the Internal Revenue Service, because they didn’t file a tax return for the 2018 or 2019 tax year. That was the info the IRS used to send out the EIPs that were authorized back in March by the authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
But if these folks who didn’t file returns act soon, they should get their share of coronavirus money before the end of this year. That definitely would be a nice holiday gift. The possible EIP is up to $1,200 per person, double that for married couples, plus an additional $500 for each qualifying child.
To get the payments, though, the IRS says these folks need to get their information to the tax agency by Oct. 15, preferably by using the special online Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool at IRS.gov.
Once the IRS gets that information, it will determine how much stimulus each taxpayer qualifies for and send it to them either by direct deposit if they have a bank account or as a paper U.S. Treasury check.
Nationwide letters to possible EIP recipients: The IRS has an idea who these EIP-eligible folks are and where they live. It got copies of their earnings statements, such as forms W-2 and 1099, that indicted they made money but not enough to require they file a tax return.
So using that data, the IRS is sending letters (officially, the document is IRS Notice 1444-A) to these individuals — it announced that mailing plan back on Sept. 8 — with details on how to register for the payments.
But since time is running short, the IRS today also released a state-by-state breakout of just where these COVID-19 payments would go.
It’s no surprise that California, the most populous state, has the most potential EIP recipients. There are 1,186,896 Golden State residents who need to act as soon as possible to get their stimulus money.
| State | Total Number of EIP Payments |
| Armed Forces Americas | 522 |
| Armed Forces Non-Americas | 3,096 |
| Armed Forces Pacific | 2,177 |
| Alabama | 148,242 |
| Alaska | 30,807 |
| Arizona | 239,037 |
| Arkansas | 91,386 |
| California | 1,186,896 |
| Colorado | 177,502 |
| Connecticut | 89,458 |
| Delaware | 32,875 |
| District of Columbia | 33,964 |
| Florida | 567,425 |
| Georgia | 348,631 |
| Hawaii | 48,767 |
| Iowa | 71,382 |
| Idaho | 40,943 |
| Illinois | 309,972 |
| Indiana | 150,154 |
| Kansas | 69,595 |
| Kentucky | 117,136 |
| Louisiana | 159,575 |
| Maine | 32,346 |
| Maryland | 192,153 |
| Massachusetts | 187,768 |
| Michigan | 270,590 |
| Minnesota | 115,914 |
| Mississippi | 86,669 |
| Missouri | 159,077 |
| Montana | 30,977 |
| Nebraska | 38,201 |
| Nevada | 94,472 |
| New Hampshire | 29,680 |
| New Jersey | 216,145 |
| New Mexico | 72,333 |
| New York | 537,726 |
| North Carolina | 245,623 |
| North Dakota | 19,596 |
| Ohio | 283,194 |
| Oklahoma | 123,473 |
| Oregon | 131,647 |
| Pennsylvania | 276,066 |
| Rhode Island | 24,686 |
| South Carolina | 142,382 |
| South Dakota | 19,391 |
| Tennessee | 171,065 |
| Texas | 796,525 |
| Utah | 69,140 |
| Vermont | 13,665 |
| Virginia | 205,600 |
| Washington | 203,978 |
| West Virginia | 27,788 |
| Wisconsin | 111,426 |
| Wyoming | 14,506 |
| Total | 8,863,344 |
The second largest group that missed out on the initial EIP distributions is here in my home state, Texas. That’s 796,525 of my Lone Star State neighbors.
Two states, Florida and New York, have EIP non-filers topping the half a million mark. There are 567,425 people in the Sunshine State and 537,726 folks in the Empire State who need to touch base with the IRS in order to get their money.
“We are releasing this state-by-state information so that state and local leaders and organizations can better understand the size of this population in their communities and assist them in claiming these important payments. Time is running out to claim a payment before the deadline,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in announcing the agency’s latest push to get the EIP money delivered
Two weeks after people register by using the non-filer tool, they can track the status of their payment using another IRS online application, the Get My Payment tool.
Applying is no guarantee: While the IRS is sending out the letters to get possibly EIP-eligible individuals to apply for the money, it also notes that the document is no guarantee they will get the money this year.
Other factors come into play in determining whether a person is due any stimulus money and if so, exactly how much.
Still, you won’t know unless you apply for the money.
So if you get an IRS letter, or don’t get one but think you might qualify, use the non-filer tool to get your info to the agency. Now. Or at least by Oct. 15.
If you don’t, you’ll have to wait until next year to and claim the COVID-19 credit amount on your 2020 tax year return.
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