CullmanTimes.com, Cullman, Alabama

Local News

October 25, 2008

IRS owes cash to local residents

By Patrick McCreless

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Free money is available for more than 100 Cullman County residents if they follow a few simple directions.

According to a recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) press release, the Cullman money is part of approximately $3 million in economic stimulus checks and $1.56 million in regular refund checks that the U.S. Postal Service could not deliver to Alabama taxpayers this year due to mailing address errors.

Nationwide, more than 279,000 economic stimulus checks totaling about $163 million and more than 104,000 regular refund checks totaling about $103 million were returned to the IRS.

“Just a simple address update will allow the IRS to get this money into the hands of its owners,” said IRS spokesman Dan Boone.

All a taxpayer has to do is update his or her address once. The IRS will then send out all checks due.

Stimulus checks

Boone said taxpayers who may be due a stimulus check must update their addresses with the IRS by Nov. 28. By law, economic stimulus checks must be sent out by Dec. 31 of this year.

The undeliverable economic stimulus checks average $583.

Boone noted that the undeliverable stimulus checks apply only to people who filed for them by the Oct. 15 deadline.

“People can still file, however we can’t guarantee we can get those checks filed and out by the end of the year,” Boone said.

Boone added that taxpayers who fail to file or do not receive their stimulus check this year will have another opportunity to get their money when they file their 2008 tax returns.

“They can claim a rebate recovery credit that will be on the tax return,” Boone said. “It’ll be the same money.”

The easiest way to update your address for the stimulus check is to visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov, click on the link “Where’s My Stimulus Payment” and then follow the directions. Taxpayers can also update their address by calling 1-866-234-2942.

Regular refunds

The regular refund checks that were returned to the IRS average $988 and will be resent as soon as taxpayers update their addresses.

To update your address for your refund, click on the “Where’s My Refund” link on the IRS website. The link enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. A taxpayer must submit his or her social security number, filing status and amount of refund shown on their 2007 return. The tool will provide the status of their refund and in some cases provide instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.

Taxpayers can also check on their refunds by phone by calling 1-800-829-1954.

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