IRS searches for citizens who did not receive stimulus
checks
More than 30 San Benito County individuals or couples are being
sought by the Internal Revenue Service
– but it’s not to collect back taxes, it’s to give those
taxpayers money that they are owed.
IRS searches for citizens who did not receive stimulus checks
More than 30 San Benito County individuals or couples are being sought by the Internal Revenue Service – but it’s not to collect back taxes, it’s to give those taxpayers money that they are owed.
The IRS reported recently that more than $34 million worth of economic stimulus package and regular tax refund checks were returned as undeliverable throughout California, with more than $1.1 million of that coming from the Central Coast area.
“When people move they may not leave a forwarding address with the post office or the IRS,” said IRS spokesman Jesse Weller. “We want to send this money to taxpayers as soon as possible. It’s more urgent this year for taxpayers to update their address with the IRS because of the year-end cutoff for stimulus payments.”
Taxpayers who may be due a stimulus check need to update their address with the IRS by Nov. 28 or the money will be returned to the federal government. By law, the stimulus checks, all of which were originally mailed out by this past summer, must be sent out by Dec. 31 of this year.
The undeliverable stimulus checks owed to 32 San Benito County residents total just under $13,000, an average of $562 per refund. Another nine local tax filers are owed regular tax refunds that were returned after their addresses had changed.
By comparison, 324 Monterey County residents and 221 from Santa Cruz County had their economic stimulus package checks returned after their mail was undeliverable to the address they had filed on their tax return.
Weller said the “Where’s My Stimulus Payment?” tool on the Web at www.irs.gov is the quickest and easiest way for a person to check the status of their stimulus check and receive instructions on how to update their address. People without Internet access should call 866-234-2942.
Checks are resent as soon as a taxpayer updates his or her address. The Web tool asks for a tax filer’s Social Security number, filing status and amount of refund owed on their 2007 return. The tool provides the status of their refund and in some cases provides instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.
Taxpayers checking on the status of their refund by phone will be given instructions on how to update their address. A telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” can be accessed by calling 800-829-1954.
The IRS recommends that taxpayers unsure of which type of refund check they may be due should first check on the economic stimulus check because of the looming deadline.
Less than 1 percent of refunds or stimulus checks were returned by the U.S. Postal service as undeliverable this year, according to the IRS.
Taxpayers are encouraged to choose the direct deposit option when they file their return because it puts an end to lost, stolen or undeliverable checks by having refunds put directly into personal checking or savings accounts. The direct deposit option is available for filers of both paper and electronic returns.
Returned checks
More than $13,000 in undelivered economic stimulus package and/or regular Internal Revenue Service checks needs to be re-sent to the following San Benito County residents.
Ruben and Angelique Almanza
Elissa C. Anderson
Sylvia Arreola
Cassandra Barnes
Brandon Brown
John M. Chappell
Benito Cuenca Lopez
Francisco De Alba
Gilberto Dominguez-Lozano
Manuel and Fabiola Espinoza
Reyes Estrada
Rodney L. Fox
Jason and Lisa Guerra
Rafael Guzman and Karla Camargo
Juan Mendoza Farias
Jose S. Minguela and Antonia Garcia
Juan C. Madrigal Garcia
Maria W. Hernandez
Yoo S. Kim
Donald G. Lingo
Ilario Lopez
Cory Martinez
Joseph A. Melton
Julio Nieto
Richard C. Parker
Dawn C. Ricotti
Maria Rodriguez
Manuela Rojas
Martin Salazar
Llubia A. Valdivia
Lillian Lorea Vasquez
Laura J. Villanueva
