7 Likely Reasons Why Your 3rd Stimulus Payment Could Be Late

2. You didn’t file a tax return in the previous years

You don’t have to be a tax expert to know that Uncle Sam looks at your 2019 or 2020 tax return in order to determine whether you’re eligible for the latest stimulus check or not. Looking at your 2019 or 2020 tax return, the IRS will also establish the amount of your stimulus payment.

In other words, if you simply “forgot” to file a 2019 or 2020 return, the IRS has many checkboxes left empty. Luckily, Uncle Sam can get the pieces of information he needs to determine your eligibility from another federal agency that issues you benefits like the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, or Railroad Retirement Board.