By Tim Macy
District Office Intern

There has been much discussion lately about the recent enactment of an economic stimulus package, which will issue a rebate check to Americans who reported at least $3,000 in income last year. The legislation is quite complex, and many people – especially seniors and veterans with no work income – have asked our office whether they are eligible for a rebate check. I will provide a quick summary of the stimulus package; much more specific information can be found at www.irs.gov.

The stimulus package is intended to give a financial boost to 117 million American families. Individuals will generally receive up to $600 plus $300 per child, and married couples will receive up to $1200 as early as May of 2008. Once an individual crosses the $75,000 a year mark or a married couple goes above $150,000, the money they would receive begins to diminish and eventually disappears as those numbers climb.

One of the most pressing questions posed by constituents this tax season is “Who exactly is eligible for a rebate check?” You are eligible for one of these coveted checks if you reported at least $3,000 in income 2007. This includes earned income from work as well as income from Social Security and certain other government programs. Also, you must have a Social Security number to claim your rebate.

Eligible for these rebates are people who otherwise would have no reason to file their taxes: people who owe no money to the government. This eligible group includes but is not limited to low-income workers as well as people who receive Social Security benefits, veterans’ disability compensations, pension or survivors’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The only requirement is that the income amount is greater than $3,000 and that the money was received in 2007.

For those taxpayers who are filing their taxes as usual this year, the government is urging you to use the direct deposit option for any money you may be getting in a standard tax rebate. This same bank account information will be used when it comes time for your stimulus check. Chances are if you’ve already filed and you earned the minimum $3,000 last year, then your money will arrive with no snags, hopefully as soon as May.

For those other taxpayers who don’t typically file a tax return, the IRS has tried to make the process as simple as possible. The most important thing to remember is…you must file your taxes by the annual deadline (April 15th, 2008) or file an extension with the IRS by that time in order to receive your rebate check.

Many senior citizens have questions concerning their eligibility for a stimulus rebate check. Some of these questions include:  Can I receive a check if I collect Social Security Disability Insurance? I haven’t filed in several years; can I still receive a check by filing this year? Does money earned through dividends or IRA distributions and other forms of unearned income count toward the minimum of $3,000? The answer to all of these questions is YES!

Senior citizens who do not ordinarily file a tax return must file for 2007 by the April 15th deadline in order to receive their checks.  The IRS has issued a special version of the Form 1040A to help taxpayers in this situation. An illustration of this completed form can be viewed at http://boyda.house.gov/uploads/1040a.pdf. The IRS asks taxpayers in this unusual situation to write the words “Stimulus Payment” at the top of their Form 1040A.  Another very important aspect of the form is Line 14A of Form 1040A, where you are asked to write in your pertinent benefits information. For now, the IRS is only able to accept these special forms as actual paper copies, but they are working on the technology which will allow them to accept the form electronically in the future. In addition, if you have already filed your taxes and need to send the IRS further information on your benefits, you can always send in a paper Form 1040X with the necessary amendments.

The IRS is working hard in conjunction with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Social Security Administration to spread the word to Americans who may not know about their eligibility for this rebate check, but there are still many people who don’t realize they may have money owed to them in May. Please help us spread the word! We want to make sure that every Kansan receives the full rebate check they deserve.