IRS Sends Letters to 9 Million Americans with Unclaimed Stimulus Checks

JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF/KODE) — An unexpected letter in the mail from the IRS isn’t always a good sign, but more than 9 million Americans will get equally good news from the IRS.

The Internal Revenue Service sends letters to millions who have not applied for stimulus payments, earned income tax credits, child tax credits, or other perks.

This money cannot be claimed if people with very little or no income who do not have to pay taxes do not file a simplified tax return. This form is required to receive a stimulus check.

The Hill reported last week that an estimated between 9 and 10 million Americans could miss out on government benefits.

It’s not just COVID-19 stimulus checks that remain on the table. Some families miss out on the Expanded Child Tax Credit, leaving up to $3,600 per child unclaimed.

“Throughout the pandemic, the IRS and Treasury Department have struggled to get COVID relief payments into the hands of some people — particularly those with lower incomes, limited internet access or the homeless,” said the Government Accountability Office, an internal government watchdog.

In addition to those not paying taxes, GAO believes that people with homelessness and mixed-status families likely missed out on stimulus payments when they were eligible.

“So they look at their database and say these people haven’t filed an income tax return, but we have reason to believe they could get a refund if they did, either stimulus money, child tax credit, earned income tax credit ,” said Patrick Kelly, a certified public accountant in Joplin, Missouri. “So the IRS looks at the database and says they haven’t filed an application, we’re not sure if they’re entitled to a refund, but they think they probably are.”

The reminders will arrive in the next few weeks and will be printed in both English and Spanish.

To receive benefits owed, affected individuals must file a 2021 federal income tax return, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig told the Associated Press.