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Financefiscal stimulus

‘Glitches’ delay stimulus check payments for millions of H&R Block, TurboTax customers

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 16, 2020, 1:13 PM ET

Users of some of the nation’s most popular tax services could face delays in receiving their stimulus checks owing to flaws in the system.

The Washington Postreports that millions of people who filed their taxes using H&R Block, TurboTax, Jackson Hewitt, and other services have been unable to get their payments, since the IRS did not have direct deposit information on file.

Many of the people affected are seeing the “Payment Status Not Available” message on the IRS’s Get My Payment tool, which launched Wednesday. Others said they received individual payments, but did not receive the $500 subsidies for their children.

As many as 21 million taxpayers could be affected by the issue, the Post estimates, since the companies involved received taxpayer refunds first, then deducted their fees before passing along the remainder to the client. The IRS and Treasury Department told the Post they were aware of the problem and working on a solution. 

TurboTax, in a statement to Fortune, said “The IRS has the appropriate banking information for all TurboTax filers, which can be used by them to distribute stimulus payments. … Any TurboTax customer who selects a refund transfer or a debit card that gets a stimulus payment sent from the IRS to those accounts will receive those stimulus payments without delay or fees.”

The problems come after a fairly rocky first day with the stimulus check payment tool. Some were unable to access the portal, or experienced long wait times, owing to “high demand.” Those delays were showing up again on Thursday morning. 

Several users have also complained of receiving notes of “technical difficulties” when trying to enter direct deposit information. And the IRS only allows a limited number of log-ins per day, locking some people out.

People who experience the issues are encouraged to log in the following day.

More personal finance coverage from Fortune:

—What to do if you can’t pay your bills this month
—Stimulus checks are being deposited: How people are spending the money
—Couldn’t track your stimulus check? Errors and long waits plague IRS portal rollout
—What you should know about mortgage forbearance and skipping payments
—Everything you need to know about furloughs—and what they mean for workers
—Freelancers and independent contractors can now apply for SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans. What you need to know
—Listen to Leadership Next, a Fortune podcast examining the evolving role of CEOs
—VIDEO: 401(k) withdrawal penalties waived for anyone hurt by COVID-19

Subscribe to Fortune’s Bull Sheet for no-nonsense finance news and analysis daily.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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