'Please wait': IRS tells taxpayers to check back later, after their $600 stimulus payments were sent to closed accounts

• Some taxpayers won't get their stimulus until they file for their 2020 tax return, the IRS said in a statement.
• Many $600 stimulus payments were sent to closed bank, H&R Block, or Intuit TurboTax accounts, leading to headaches for those seeking relief.
• "We encourage people to check back later," the IRS said

Many waiting for a second stimulus have been told to "please wait" by the Internal Revenue Service, as some $600 payments were sent to closed bank accounts or incorrect addresses.

Because of the mix-ups, some taxpayers won't get their stimulus until they file for their 2020 tax return, the IRS said. And some $600 payments were sent to closed tax-filing accounts at H&R Block and Intuit TurboTax.

"It is possible the IRS sent your second stimulus payment to a different place than your first stimulus payment," said H&R Block in a statement posted on its website.

Congress approved the new $600 payments as part of a $900 billion stimulus bill. President Donald Trump signed the bill on December 28. The IRS then launched a website to help taxpayers track their new payments.

—Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) December 29, 2020

But when some entered their social security number and address, they received an error message telling them to wait for further information.

"Please wait," read some error messages. "Status - Not Available," read others.

The errors were due to the high volumes of requests, said the IRS in a statement on Tuesday. "We encourage people to check back later."

But people who see see the "Not Available" error messages when checking on their payments on the IRS website may have to take additional steps to get theirs, an IRS spokesperson told CNBC.

Some people who had filed their 2019 taxes via TurboTax or H&R Block were having difficulty getting their $600 because they it was sent to closed accounts, according to the companies.

H&R Block added a banner on its website directing filers to information about how they could get their money sooner. In a series of Twitter messages, Intuit TurboTax said the IRS had sent out payments as such a speed that they "sent some payments to an account that may be closed or no longer active."

—Intuit TurboTax (@turbotax) January 5, 2021

On its website, the IRS said payments had been speedy, but acknowledged payments were sent to the wrong bank and tax-filing accounts. Those financial institutions had to return the money to the IRS, instead of just issuing them to users via open accounts, according to the IRS.

That could take time, the companies warned.

Taxpayers who saw an error message telling them their payment was 'Not Available' may have to wait to get their money as part of their 2020 tax return, said the IRS.

"The IRS advises people that if they don't receive their Economic Impact Payment, they should file their 2020 tax return electronically and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax return to get their payment and any refund as quickly as possible," the agency said.

Rep. Henry Cueller, of Texas, said in a statement that many were "anxiously awaiting" their $600 payments, but all payments were expected by the end of January. "We will get through this crisis together," he said.