Coronavirus stimulus cash sent to dead Americans
Eligibility is based on 2018 or 2019 tax returns
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The IRS has only begun depositing economic impact payments this week, but already Americans are noticing some issues.
Some, for example, have noted that payments are being issued to people who have died.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie posted a text exchange with a friend this week, who claimed his father – who died in 2018 – had received a $1,200 check.
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Massie said the instance was “just the tip of the iceberg.” Others replied they had heard of similar occurrences, and many have tweeted about their experiences.
Eligibility is based on 2018 or 2019 tax returns. Massie confirmed that his friend’s father’s estate filed his taxes in 2018.
In 2009, 72,000 stimulus checks were sent to dead individuals. It occurred because recipients had either died recently or the Social Security Administration (which issued those payments) had failed to properly process death records it did have.
A spokesperson for the IRS did not return FOX Business’ request for comment.
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The payments will be $1,200 per adult for those with adjusted gross incomes of up to $75,000. The threshold for married couples is $150,000 – they are eligible for $2,400 and $500 per child.
Mishaps with the economic impact payments are not isolated incidents, however. As previously reported by FOX Business, deceased individuals in many states have received other benefits – like Medicaid.
Last year, for example, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that California made about $71 million worth of Medicaid payments on behalf of deceased beneficiaries. Errors occurred because the state did not dis-enroll beneficiaries after their dates of death were identified or collaborate with other agencies to identify or verify dates of death.
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These are not the only issues Americans are experiencing with the payments, however. As reported by FOX Business, some taxpayers were not receiving the cash if they used a certain tool through TurboTax and H&R Block. The IRS said Thursday it was aware of the issue and was actively working to correct it.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that some banks were withholding the payments for customers with overdrawn accounts.