Many financial institutions will help an individual lacking an account open a low-cost or no-cost bank account. Individuals who open accounts will then have an account and routing number available when they file and claim a direct deposit of the EIP payment.
For information about opening an account online, please visit the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) website (opens in a new tab)
To locate a nearby FDIC-insured bank, please visit the FDIC’s BankFind tool (opens in a new tab) Additionally, BankOn (opens in a new tab) , American Bankers Association (opens in a new tab) , Independent Community Bankers of America (opens in a new tab) , and the National Credit Union Administration (opens in a new tab) have compiled lists of banks and credit unions that can open an account online.
Veterans can learn more about access to financial services through the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) (opens in a new tab)
Individuals with a prepaid debit card may be able to have their refund applied to the card. Many reloadable prepaid cards or mobile payment apps have account and routing numbers that can be provided to the Internal Revenue Service. Individuals should check with the financial institution affiliated with the card to confirm it can be used and to obtain the routing and account numbers, which may differ from the card number.
Individuals can use a smartphone or computer to file taxes for free online (opens in a new tab) This online resource is recommended by the Internal Revenue Service for individuals experiencing homelessness to prepare and electronically file their tax return.
Individuals can check the status of their tax refund using Where’s My Refund? (opens in a new tab) at IRS.gov (opens in a new tab) or call 800-829-1954 for automated refund information.
To check the status of a third Economic Impact Payment, individuals can use the Get My Payment tool (opens in a new tab) on IRS.gov. IRS phone assistors do not have more information than what is available in this tool.
For individuals experiencing homelessness who have a job, filing a return may include receiving a refund based on various tax benefits, especially the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low- and moderate-income workers and families.
Because it is a refundable credit, those who qualify could pay less federal tax, pay no tax, or receive a tax refund. The amount varies depending on income, marital status, and other factors.
The Internal Revenue Service has created an online EITC Assistant (opens in a new tab) to help individuals determine eligibility.
Individuals living in a homeless shelter may use the shelter as their home address.
To receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, federal law requires that a worker live in the United States for more than half the year and meet other eligibility requirements. Individuals experiencing homelessness who work, including those staying in shelters, may meet this requirement.