The federal economic stimulus program is nearing an end, and another large batch of checks is in the mail
Millions of Americans are wondering, where’s the money?
It’s on the way, the Internal Revenue Service says. Honest.
IRS workers had printed and mailed about 105 million of an ultimately expected 130 million checks before the July 4 holiday. The last batch of checks based on federal income tax returns the IRS processed before April 15 went out Friday.
Next up are tail-end returns that the IRS did not get processed by April 15, still-to-come returns from taxpayers who requested automatic six-month extensions in April to get more time to finish their tax work, and late returns still coming in from low-income retirees and disabled veterans who are filing this year just to get the one-time stimulus checks.
Those payments will reach bank accounts of filers requesting direct deposit about four to six weeks after IRS processes those returns, said Michael Devine, a service spokesman in St. Louis. Households getting paper checks should see those six to eight weeks after their returns are processed.
Anyone who has not yet filed either their normal tax returns or the Forms 1040A that nonfiling low income retirees and disabled veterans use to get their payments must do that by Oct. 15, which also is the filing deadline for last April’s extension seekers, Devine said. That is to give IRS enough time to process the returns and mail out the stimulus payments by Dec. 31.
“The law says that the payments must all be made this year,” he said.
Here are questions frequently heard at the IRS, at tax preparers’ offices and at other resources.
Why haven’t I gotten my check yet, even though, based on my Social Security number, it should have come weeks ago?
The answer might depend on information on your tax return that only you and the IRS know. You can call the service toll free at 866-234-2942 or log on to the IRS Web site www.irs.gov to find out. Have a copy of your tax return ready when you call or log on.
What if I can’t get in on that toll free number and don’t have a computer?
IRS walk-in Taxpayer Assistance Centers provide free help. Most are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Three are in the Kansas City area – in the Hillcrest Bank building at 5800 E. Bannister Road in Kansas City; across from Independence Mall at 3730 S. Elizabeth St. in Independence; and off Metcalf Avenue and Shawnee Mission Parkway at 5799 Broadmoor St. in Mission. Find others by calling 800-829-1040.
I don’t file income taxes because my only income is Social Security and a pension. How do I get a stimulus check?
You will need to file a Form 1040A federal return, the short form, by Oct. 15. Write the words “stimulus payment” across the top. Fill in your name, Social Security number, some information about your dependents and your Social Security, pension and other income, but don’t worry about other calculations that don’t apply to you.
Your payment – about $300 if you are single, $600 if you are married, and more if you have dependents who qualify, too – should come in four to six weeks if you requested direct deposit, or six to eight weeks otherwise.
Why is my payment smaller than what the IRS said it would be in an advance notice I received?
The amount listed in the notice is based on what you are eligible for based on the return you filed. Federal and state governments, however, may take out money for debts such as past-due taxes, student loan payments or child support before you receive the actual payment.
What do I do if my payment seems wrong?
First, talk with the IRS to find out why. The answer may be as simple as a mistaken Social Security number or a similar error. Or you can call the IRS Taxpayer Advocate’s office, at 877-777-4778, if you think the IRS made a mistake that can’t be fixed otherwise.
-Kansas City Star