Economic Freeze Checks... okay, we want the dead people money back

[Jimmy Higgins]

So the IRS kind of fucked up. I know, I know, with America being great again, it is hard to ponder that being possible. But the IRS sent out checks to people based on their taxes filed in 2018. Some people's living status has changed since then. And the understanding earlier on was that the status for the 2018 taxes was all that mattered.

The IRS is now saying 'hold up'!

Q: Can deceased people haz cheezburgur?

A:No. A Payment made to someone who died before receipt of the Payment should be returned to the IRS by following the instructions in the Q&A about repayments. Return the entire Payment unless the Payment was made to joint filers and one spouse had not died before receipt of the Payment, in which case, you only need to return the portion of the Payment made on account of the decedent. This amount will be $1,200 unless adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000.

The scrutinizing person might notice that the question has a date added date of May 6, 2020.

In mid-April, there was no word from the IRS on this. Nor in late April, when Sec. Mnuchin said that people should send back money, but there was still no guidance.

“You’re not supposed to keep that payment,” Mnuchin told the paper. “We’re checking the databases, but there could be a scenario where we missed something, and yes, the heirs should be returning that money.”

...

Because someone could have filed for those years and passed away, they could still get a stimulus payment.
“We will be issuing guidance on this shortly,” a Treasury Department spokeswoman said.

Well, the guidance is now in it seems... for now until it changes again.

Seems like they should have been more busy with these types of details rather than how can they legally put Trump's name on the checks.

 

[laughing dog]

Yup. My brother is holding on to my father's check until this is sorted out.

 

[TSwizzle]

Jeezus christ.

 

[TV and credit cards]

“We will be issuing guidance on this shortly,” a Treasury Department spokeswoman said.

They're discussing the bedridden and considering prorating the amounts of those with only months left to live. I hear Jared is in on the discussions.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Yup. My brother is holding on to my father's check until this is sorted out.

I'm not certain. My mom doesn't need it. So we could just hold on to it. My fear is the Government losing that we returned it. The IRS bureaucracy was bad enough without the Trump meddling.

If we cash it and return my Dad's $1200, that makes us legal, I think, but then there needs to be some sort of documentation they received it, and seeing that the IRS just put this on their website on the 6th, I can't imagine they do. Which means they might lose it and come back looking for it again... and then taking my Mom's share of the check... and she is well and alive.

Thank goodness she doesn't need this to live or make the house payment!

 

[Tigers!]

Nice to know that this is not a unique issue.
In Australia during the GFC the Labour Government sent out cheques to dead people too. Actually i don not know what happened to them. certainly there was talk of them being returned.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Of course government sends out checks to dead people. It happens all the time with social security. There's no way to prevent it as the death reporting takes time and the sending takes time. The standard procedure is they claw back the money if it was sent to a dead person.

 

[Keith&Co.]

If we cash it and return my Dad's $1200, that makes us legal, I think, but then there needs to be some sort of documentation they received it, and seeing that the IRS just put this on their website on the 6th, I can't imagine they do. Which means they might lose it and come back looking for it again... and then taking my Mom's share of the check... and she is well and alive.

Used to get random overpayments in the military every so often. Srandard response.
Cash the check.
Deposit the extra money somewhere and don't touch it.
Eventually they will either:

A) send you a specific letter saying you owe them money, with instructions on how to pay it. (Or in our case, just take it out of a paycheck without warning, so one day you got a check for $1.09.)

B) never bring it up again. Seriously.

Our thumbrule was five years. If they didn't mention the overpayment by then, they probably were not going to. Spend it in peace.