INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly 80% of the second round of stimulus checks were sent out to Americans, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. But the rollout has not gone without a hitch.
Christina Flores Morales is frustrated and angry. The Indianapolis mother said Monday she is still waiting for her second stimulus check. In the spring, she recalled receiving “fairly quickly” the first stimulus check by direct deposit into a joint account she shares with her husband. She saw the first direct deposit stimulus check in her joint bank account with her husband.
"It [the stimulus check] means a lot. I can pay quite a bit of my bills with this,” Flores Morales said. She added, 2020 was an especially tough year for her and her family.
Aside from the struggles of COVID, she got into a debilitating car accident, lost her job and lost her 29-year-old brother.
“I would just like to not have to worry about paying the bills,” Flores Morales told WRTV Monday.
Michael Jamison with OnTarget CPA said overall the second rollout of stimulus checks has gone "much smoother" even despite issues last week with checks being deposited into phantom accounts. His advice for those like Flores Morales who are still waiting for their check is to call the IRS and/or reach out to a CPA for help. Jamison suggested calling the IRS around 7a.m. when he said call volume is the lightest.
The tax expert also notes the second check may not come the same way the first check came.
"They're trying to make it to turn it around a lot quicker, so people don't have to wait two months, so they're using both methods,” Jamison said.
January 15th is the cutoff date for the U.S. Treasury to send out second stimulus checks. Jamison suggested waiting a week or two after this date to see if a paper check or debit card shows up.
For those who did not receive one or both stimulus checks, and are eligible, make sure to apply for the recovery rebate credit when filing taxes this year.
