WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the third round of Economic Impact Payments will begin reaching Americans over the next week.

Following approval of the American Rescue Plan Act, the first batch of payments will be sent by direct deposit, which some recipients will start receiving as early as this Additional batches of payments will be sent in the coming weeks by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card. The vast majority of these payments will be by direct deposit.

No action is needed by most taxpayers; the payments will be automatic and, in many cases, similar to how people received the first and second round of Economic Impact Payments in 2020. People can check the “Get My Payment’ tool on IRS.gov on Monday to see the payment status of the third stimulus payment.

In addition, the IRS will automatically send EIP3 to people who didn’t file a return but receive Social
Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Veterans Affairs benefits. This is similar to the first and second rounds of Economic Impact Payments, often referred to as EIP1 and EIP2.

For those who received EIP1 or EIP2 but don’t receive a payment via direct deposit, they will generally receive a check or, in some instances, a prepaid debit card (referred to as an “EIP Card). A payment will not be added to an existing EIP card mailed for the first or second round of stimulus payments. Under the new law, an EIP3 cannot be offset to pay various past-due federal debts or back taxes.