May 21 update from the US Embassy: The Embassy recently received 187 U.S. Treasury checks (economic impact payments) for U.S. citizens and is in the process of notifying recipients in Cambodia of their arrival. Recipients must be registered in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in order for us to have contact information and to make notifications when we receive such checks.
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Safety (CARES) Act, every American citizen who qualifies will be receiving a $1,200 payment from the US government. People started seeing deposits in their accounts a few weeks ago, but Americans abroad have wondered if they are eligible.
Since I don’t have a check yet to take a picture of, here’s a photo of an American flag on the Mekong in Phnom Penh.
Although the CARES Act seemed to include all American citizens, the IRS page initially said that “U.S. residents will receive the Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 for individual or head of household filers…” suggesting that non-residents were not eligible.
However, over the weekend the IRS has posted clarification on their site that reads:
As a U.S. citizen living abroad, am I entitled to a Payment?
Yes, U.S. citizens living outside the country are eligible for the Payment. Anyone eligible to file Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR is an eligible person if they have a valid SSN and can’t be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer. Nonresident aliens who file or would file Form 1040-NR or Form 1040-NR-EZ are not eligible for the Payment.
You can read more about who qualifies, but most Americans who made less than $99,000 last year are eligible for the stimulus payment (although those making more than $75,000 will get less than the full amount), including retirees and those on SSI. The catch is that you need to have filed your 2018 or 2019 taxes, which if you are earning overseas you are legally required to do each year.
So the next big question is: how will expats in Cambodia receive their payments?
For those who were owed a refund on their 2018 or 2019 taxes and entered direct deposit information on their return, they will receive their payment by direct deposit and it may have already arrived, as the first payments went out on April 15th.
If you were not required to file a tax return, the IRS will let you fill out a form for non-filers where you can enter in your direct deposit information.
Expats abroad who are self-employed or have needed to make payments on their taxes in 2018 and 2019 and therefore did not include direct deposit information on their taxes are currently in a sort of limbo. There is an online site where you can check the status of your payment and enter payment information, but most expats are finding that they either get a message that says “Payment status unavailable” or “The information you entered does not match our records.”
“Payment status unavailable” can mean many things, but many, including myself, have found that their status changed after a few days. I went from getting “Payment status unavailable” to “The information you entered does not match our records.” Unfortunately the IRS website appears to not be able to handle foreign addresses, and the issue seems to be postal codes — the site will not accept foreign postal codes, but using a US zip code or leaving it blank doesn’t work either. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a way around it at this time.
However, getting one of these messages does not mean you won’t be getting your check! Qualifying expats will likely be getting paper checks mailed to the address used on their last tax return. If your address is in Cambodia, you may be waiting for a while, as mail services at a near standstill in the country. Your other option is to file your 2019 taxes as soon as possible and include direct deposit details, even if you are not due a tax return.
Another issue that may be affecting American expats in Cambodia is that if you file a joint return with your spouse or partner and that spouse or partner does not have an American social security number, you are not currently eligible for the stimulus payment. There is currently a lawsuit pending about this.
If you are a VA or SSI recipient and don’t file a tax return and have dependents (eligible children are granted a $500 payment), you need to add them using the Non-Filers tool by May 5th.
If you still have questions, check out the Democrats Abroad FAQs about the CARES stimulus payments for Americans overseas.
If you’re an American living in Cambodia and you’ve received your stimulus payment, please post a comment about how you received it, and if you had a foreign address on file with the IRS.
Update: On May 13th the “Check your payment” site started accepting foreign addresses and allowing expats who have a foreign address to check the status of their payment. Unfortunately, on the same day they stopped allowing people to enter in their bank details. What this means is that most expats abroad are being mailed checks.
People still get checks for Social Security?
All you need is a US bank, direct deposit and an ATM card to have social security funds available.
You might consider Capital One and its CapOne 360Checking with ATM/Debit card. Have your SS check deposited to the account. Make foreign withdrawals without the typical 3% “foreign exchange fee”. The last time we were in Cambodia we of course got US dollars from the ATM so there was no US bank fee. And get a CapOne credit card and have no 3% foreign exchange fee for credit card purchases.
Or, as mentioned in another post, if you have US accounts and online access, it is easy to set up Western Union transfer. It isn’t cheap. We recently sent $100 in USD to a tuk tuk driver we have used in Cambodia who is on hard times due to the coronavirus. The cost was $12 to send it.
I filed 2018 with a Cambodia address and just checked the “Get My Payment” site and it said my check was “Mailed” on May 15th. I am hoping its included in the ones received at the US Embassy. I was not registered in STEP before so just added my details. How did others get notified from the Embassy? Can I just call the phone numbers and ask if they have a CHECK for me? Please post your story so we all know what to expect. Thanks!
Call or send an email to the embassy. A friend of mine emailed them yesterday and was told a check had just arrived for him.
The bad news is I have been trying for three days to cash or deposit the check. I contacted 16 banks and financial institutions (two where I have accounts) to no avail. Unfortunately I no longer have a USA bank account.
Nice check and it is valid for a year. I will post when and how I cash or deposit it
Just call or email the embassy.
Just so everyone knows, if you filled out your correct international address on the NON FILERS Form via online , you will receive a check anywhere in the world , that said if the post office in your country actually will get the check to you without messing up. I live in Easter Europe and my check was sent to my address that i provided to the IRS via online . ON get my payment page my check was mailed on May 1st and arrived on May 19th. Then i went to a local bank and provided them the check and it usually takes 30 days for them to cash it for you since they have to send it back to the UNITED STATES for the US treasury to pay the local bank . If you follow all the correct steps on the IRS site you will get a check no matter where you live as long as you are a US citizen and if your local post office does not screw anything up . Even if the post office messes up the IRS will see that the check was not cashed and you can contact them as they will be sending a follow up letter to all US CITIZENS after a check is mailed
U.S. Treasury Checks
The Embassy recently received an additional quantity of 46 U.S. treasury checks and we are in the process of notifying recipients of their arrival. If you are not registered in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), then we do not have your contact information and cannot notify you. When we receive more checks, we will notify those recipients as well. If you have a question about your economic impact payment, please
What about people who’s Social Security retirees and living in Cambodia, should they expect to get their Stumilus check also? If should be when it will happen?. Thanks
USPS has suspended International mail to Cambodia because of a lack of airplanes coming in.
Also, I am not certain if Cambodia is accepting any International mail at this time.
Still don’t have my stimulus because I filed early and wasn’t owed a refund so system would not take my bank info. Which the IRS already has but wasn’t on the 2019 return.
If you used a Cambodia address on your last tax return, the US Embassy may have your check. See the update.
Yes! Thank you. E-mailed them Sunday and picked it Up today (Monday). They said I wasn’t in the STEP system so they had no way to reach me. However, my Cambodian PO Box is the address on the envelope.
Trying to deposit using US Bank app. I will know if that works tomorrow.
For international mail services, DHL is still functioning as normal albeit expensive.
Where can I cash this check in Phnom Penh. The check was refused at 8 banks including two banks where I have accounts. I even opened a third account and still unable to cash this check
Any advice?
You will probably have to deposit it into an American bank account. Many banks allow online deposits via their apps.
Excellent suggestion for those who receive a check. Major banks have apps that let you take photos of front and back (with endorsement) of your check for deposit. I did that with my “stimulus” check in the US but it should work with any US bank from any location.
Unfortunately I don’t have a US account and have no plans to return.
Let me know if you hear of any banks in Phnom Penh that will cash them.
And thanks for your reply.
Hopefully someone will leave a comment if they come up with a solution or find a bank in Phnom Penh that will take a US check. Otherwise you may need a friend or family member to cash it for you.
You will not find a Cambodian bank that will cash a US Government check anymore then you would find the reverse in America.
You say “Cash” but if you have a long term, business or personal, relationship with a Cambodian Bank they should accept it as a deposit and then wait maybe 30days for funds to clear. Canadia and Maybank are good with international transactions.
Other option, sign over to a trusted US friend/family member so they can deposit and Western Union you the funds minus fees.I’d suggest DHL to track the check mailing.
Good luck
I wonder how those people cash their checks for SS benefit?
I posted this above and copied here for your information.
People still get checks for Social Security?
All you need is a US bank, direct deposit and an ATM card to have social security funds available.
You might consider Capital One and its CapOne 360Checking with ATM/Debit card. Have your SS check deposited to the account. Make foreign withdrawals without the typical 3% “foreign exchange fee”. The last time we were in Cambodia we of course got US dollars from the ATM so there was no US bank fee. And get a CapOne credit card and have no 3% foreign exchange fee for credit card purchases.
Or, as mentioned in another post, if you have US accounts and online access, it is easy to set up Western Union transfer. It isn’t cheap. We recently sent $100 in USD to a tuk tuk driver we have used in Cambodia who is on hard times due to the coronavirus. The cost was $12 to send it.
Bangkok Bank does it. However, you need to create an account with them, you need to deposit $100 for the account to be made. It takes about 45 days or so to get your money. Plus, they charge you $65 for the process…
Please tell me you have done this recently. I have tried 16 banks andinstitutions with no luck. Are you certain Bangkok bank will do it?
Yes they do. But don’t forget to bring your SS number card..
If this works, I will buy you a bottle of wine. Thanks again. I willtry Monday and let you know.
I just use a mail forwarding company. So while I live in Cambodia, I use the mail forwarding address in the USA on my tax returns. Once they send my refund check to the mail forwarder address, I just have the mail forwarder endorse it and send it to my bank, where it then gets deposited. I already received my tax refund check this way, and I should be getting a stimulus check as well.
Filled out the “non-filers” form for 2019 on April 17th, Got an immediate “received” email and within 15 minutes a “return accepted” email. Received direct deposit into my US Bank on April 30th. Just to give anyone a timeline.
If you expect to see a paper check in Cambodia, best of luck. I’m still waiting for 2 years worth of birthday and Christmas cards. Plus what would you do with a check drawn on a US bank anyway?
Just checked my status again, after having checked 5 times over the past few weeks. Now it shows they will mail a check by May 1st. I have not yet filed 2019. Our 2018 didn’t have direct deposit info, but we do have a US address for our taxes.
Do note that the IRS website is buggy. It has reported for me that I am getting a direct deposit, that I am getting a check, that it can’t find any record for me, that it is unavailable.
That makes me feel better about my changing status on the IRS site. Thanks for all of the info.
A friend living in Ecuador had a direct deposit to her account — but she filed US income tax returns for 2018 and 2019 with refunds due and her bank account info on her returns. My deceased mother, who died in 2019, received a deposit even though her final return included Form 1310 Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer to get her regular income tax refund, and even though we had filed two death certificates withe the Treasury months before the end of 2019 and we had notified SSA of her death within days of her passing.
But, there is no exception for expatriated Americans in the legislation.
If you haven’t filed a US return in the last two years due to insufficient income to file, you might need to visit this website to give a bank account number: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments
or, if you are receiving social security via direct deposit to a US bank account, you should get a deposit there automatically.
I had direct deposit info on file from my tax return in 2018 and pending for 2019, but when my “status” on the website finally changed today from the error message, it said that a check will be mailed May 1 to my address on file (a permanent address in the States). Not sure why it wasn’t direct deposited. Not an issue for me, besides the wait, but it might be for those without a US address.
Thanks, Lauren, that’s good to know. Hopefully we will get a few more data points here.