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Sat, May 17, 2008
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Clocking In

13 frequently-asked questions about the stimulus payments

05/07/2008 04:07 PM
Shelley Shelton

Q. When will I get my payment?
A. Payments are going out now for tax returns processed by April 15 and will continue on a weekly schedule through mid-July. See the payment schedule for both direct deposit and paper checks for further information. Payments will continue through 2008 for returns filed after April 15.

Q. I filed after April 15 and the payment date for my Social Security number has passed. How long will it take for me to get my stimulus payment?
A. It will generally take a minimum of six weeks after you file your return to get your stimulus payment.

Q. I filed my return on time, but I haven’t received my stimulus payment, even though the payment date listed for my Social Security number has passed. Why?
A. In general, the payment schedule only applies if your return was received and the IRS finished processing it before April 15. If you filed your return on time, but close to the April 15 deadline, the IRS may not have finished processing it before April 15.

Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested a refund anticipation loan from my preparer. How does that affect my stimulus payment?
A. Taxpayers who use Refund Anticipation Loans or enter into any other loans or financial agreements with a tax professional, such as agreeing to have return preparation fees deducted from their refunds, cannot receive their stimulus payments by direct deposit and instead will get paper checks based on the paper check distribution schedule.

Q. Will the IRS allow me to provide it with direct deposit information, if I didn’t include that information on my original tax return?
A. You cannot correct direct deposit information or request a direct deposit after a return has been filed.

Q. Is there something I can do to prevent my stimulus payment from being automatically deposited into the account that I identified for the direct deposit of my regular refund?
A. Generally, if you designated direct deposit on a tax return, the stimulus payment will go to the account number you designated. If the account number is no longer active, the IRS will send you a paper check. This process may take several weeks.

Q. I received my stimulus payment, but it was less than what my friends and neighbors received. Why?
A. Your economic stimulus payment is based on information provided on your 2007 income tax return.

Your payment may be less than the maximum for one or more of the following reasons:

  • You are single and your net income tax liability is less than $600. If you file Form 1040 net income tax liability is the amount shown on Line 57, plus the amount on Line 52.
  • You are married and your net income tax liability is less than $1,200.
  • You are single and your adjusted gross income is more than $75,000. On Form 1040, the adjusted gross income is the amount on Line 37.
  • You are married filing a joint return and your AGI is more than $150,000.
  • You owe back taxes that reduced your payment.
  • You have non-tax federal debts such as unpaid student loans or child-support obligations that reduced your payment.

Around the time you receive your payment, you will also receive a notice from the IRS explaining how your payment was calculated. It is important to keep this notice as a record of your economic stimulus payment. In addition, you’ll get a separate notice if you owe back taxes or non-tax debts that were offset or deducted from your stimulus payment.

Q. The notice I received shows I should have gotten more than the government actually deposited into my bank account. What happened?
A. It could be that the amount deposited into your bank account was what remained of your stimulus payment after it was reduced, or offset to collect back taxes or other debts such as a student loan or child support. If this is the case, you will receive a separate notice about two weeks after you receive your stimulus payment and notice.

Q. I have moved since filing my 2007 tax return. How will my payment reach me?
A. You should file a Form 8822 with the IRS and a change of address notice with the U.S. Postal Service. This will ensure your check is sent to your new address. Without your current address, the check could be returned to the IRS as undeliverable.

Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested my electronic filing and/or tax preparation fees be deducted from my refund. Does that affect my stimulus payment?
A. If you requested that your electronic filing or tax preparation fee be deducted from the amount of your refund, you have entered into a financial agreement with the tax preparation provider or e-file software company for a refund anticipated check. Both refund anticipation checks and refund anticipation loans are bank products. The money that is deposited into your bank account comes from the financial institution associated with your electronic filing software provider or tax preparation provider, not directly from the IRS. Taxpayers who use these transactions or enter into similar loans or financial agreements with their tax professional or tax software companies will not receive their economic stimulus payments by direct deposit. Instead they will get a paper check that will be issued according to the schedule that has been published for paper check distribution.

Q. I chose to have my tax refund deposited onto a “stored value card” or debit card through the professional tax preparer I used. Will my stimulus payment be directly deposited onto that same stored value card or debit card account?
A. Yes, unless you requested a refund anticipation loan through your tax professional or the stored value card or debit card account has been closed, in which case you will receive your economic stimulus payment by paper check. Because the IRS must wait until the money is returned, this process may take several weeks.

Q. I received a stimulus payment and I want to verify that it is correct. How do I figure the payment, myself?
A. The easiest way to figure the amount is to use the Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator on the IRS.gov Web site. Essentially, there are two parts to the stimulus payment: a basic amount based on tax liability, filing status or other qualifying income, if there is no tax liability, and an additional amount based on whether a qualifying child is reported on the return.

Basic Amount of Payment: If you had a net income tax liability for 2007, you will generally receive a payment, unless you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return, had higher income or do not have a valid Social Security number.

Your net income tax liability is one of the following:

  • On Form 1040, the amount shown on Line 57 plus the amount on Line 52;
  • On Form 1040A, the amount shown on Line 35 plus the amount on Line 32; or
  • On Form 1040EZ, the amount on Line 10.

Your stimulus payment is equal to your net income tax liability, but no more than $600, if you are single, or $1,200, if you are married filing a joint return.

If you had no net income tax liability for 2007, you are usually getting a minimum payment of $300, if you are single, or $600, if you are married filing jointly, as long as you had qualifying income of at least $3,000 in 2007.

Q: I normally don’t need to file a tax return. How do I know if I’m one of those people who may be eligible to receive an economic stimulus payment?
A: This group includes some recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement or veterans’ benefits as well as taxpayers who do not make enough money to normally have to file a 2007 tax return. For example, this can include low-income workers, those who receive Social Security benefits or those who receive veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. These people will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return), if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.

For more information on stimulus payments, go to www.irs.gov

Back
  1. See the payment schedule for both direct deposit and paper checks for further information.
    How about providing a link to that schedule?


    Morph    05/07/2008 07:46 PM    #
  2. My apologies. You can find the schedule at irs.gov. There’s a prominent link on the homepage.


    Shelley    05/08/2008 11:29 AM    #
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About 'Clocking In'

'Clocking In' is the joint blog of the Star’s Business news staff. We're punching out news tips, outtakes and other morsels for people with an appetite for local business, consumer and workplace news. Have some news of your own to share? Be sure to drop us a line using one of the e-mail addresses below.




'Clocking In' Authors


Tim Steller
Business editor
Phone: 573-4663
E-mail: tsteller@azstarnet.com


Jack Gillum
Technology and aerospace reporter
Phone: 573-4178
E-mail: jgillum@azstarnet.com


Becky Pallack
Workplace issues and health-care industry reporter
Phone: 573-4224
E-mail: bpallack@azstarnet.com


Gabriela Rico
AzStarBiz.com editor, Economic development and tourism reporter
Phone: 573-4232
E-mail: grico@azstarnet.com


Shelley Shelton
Consumer issues and small business reporter
Phone: 434-4086
E-mail: sshelton@azstarnet.com


Christie Smythe
Real estate and retail reporter
Phone: 434-4083
E-mail: csmythe@azstarnet.com


David Wichner
Assistant business editor
Phone: 573-4181
E-mail: dwichner@azstarnet.com