So it was previously reported that surviving family members may be able to keep stimulus checks that had been issued to their dead relatives. You didn't really think that was going to happen, did you?
The IRS is now saying those checks must be sent back. If you missed the details the first go around, it seems the IRS, in their infinite wisdom, used two-year-old tax returns to determine eligibility for those payments. Of course, some of those people died between filing their taxes two years ago and now. So now the boys in Washington say if you received a check intended for a deceased loved one, you must mail it back to the Treasury Department. Money received through direct deposit can be sent back by check or money order. Married couples who received a joint stimulus payment only have to send back the half intended for the person who is no longer alive.
If you received an erroneous paper check, here's what to do:
- Write "void" in the endorsement section on the back of the check.
- Write a note to include with the check explaining why it's being returned.
- Don't staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
- Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the appropriate IRS location
If the check was cashed or the payment was directly deposited into the bank account, here's what to do:
- Submit a personal check or money order to the IRS address corresponding to your state.
- Make it payable to "U.S. Treasury" and write 2020EIP and the taxpayer identification number (social security number, or individual taxpayer identification number) of the recipient of the check.
- Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the EIP
Source: CNN