Thursday, May 22, 2008

HEY DUDE, WHERE'S MY REBATE?

I have heard from two separate 1040 clients whose Social Security numbers end in “00 thru “09”. According to the IRS Rebate Payment Schedule their individual “stimulus” rebate checks should have been mailed out “no later than” May 16th – which means they should have received them by now. They have not.

Neither client requested direct deposit on their Form 1040. One is married and his wife is a US citizen with a bona fide Social Security number (actually we all went to high school together a long time ago).

I went to the IRS website to check on the status of the two rebates and in both cases the response was:

We are sorry. Specific information about your Stimulus Payment is not available.”

These two taxpayers have something in common. Each had a balance due on their 2007 Form 1040 and, because they both owed “Sam”, each mailed their 1040 either on or just days before the April 15th filing deadline.

The only thing I can think of is that the IRS is overwhelmed by the mechanics of processing this poorly thought out election year gimmick and, similar to me during the last weeks of the tax season, their “eyes were bigger than their stomach” so-to-speak and they are unable to meet their hoped for deadline.

Have any of my colleagues out there come across a similar situation?

TTFN

FYI – I am off to Newburgh New York for a long-overdue and much-needed rest. “Talk” to you when I get back.

No comments: