IRS website frustrates Bay Area residents looking for stimulus checks

OAKLAND, Calif. - Many Americans are still reporting problems with the IRS website as they try to track their stimulus payments and some are reporting their money was sent to the wrong bank account.

KTVU received numerous messages on Twitter from people who said they qualify for an economic impact payment, but they are unable to check the status of their payment on the IRS website. 

Jober Tarin of Union City said he is eligible for a refund, has already filed his 2019 taxes, and he’s input correct information on the “Get my Payment” feature on the site, but he still receives a message that his payment status is unavailable.

“I logged on and the first thing it gave me was the same error message everyone is getting,” Tarin said. “I sort of understood that maybe the server is overloaded or perhaps there are a ton of people who are applying at the same time.”

Cut Ramirez of San Francisco can’t get an update on his payment either.

“I know I've moved a couple of times in the last year and so maybe the address that i'm inputting is not registering,” he said. “Hopefully at the end of the day it's just glitches with so many so people on the website and everything will eventually trickle in.”

Another person emailed KTVU and said they were able to get through, but the website said the cash was sent to a bank account that didn’t belong to them. Other Americans across the country have reported similar claims of saying their money was received, but sent to a bank account that wasn’t theirs, according to USA Today.

An IRS spokesperson did not confirm any payments being sent to wrong accounts, but said money that is rejected by banks would be sent back to the IRS who would then in turn send out a paper check to the correct individual.

Part of a statement from the IRS reads:

“The IRS is working hard to deliver Economic Impact Payments to all eligible Americans as quickly as possible. These payments are being delivered in record time. The IRS is moving aggressively to provide additional information and resolve any issues.”

Tarin said he runs a small, family-owned business selling traditional Muslim clothing in Union City, but the store has been closed since the stay at home order. He said a stimulus check would go a long way.

“We just want to work,” he said. “We're not asking for a handout. We're not asking for donations. We want to work… the problem is we can't.”

More than 80 million people have received payments this week, according to the IRS.