I called the IRS today because of when I checked the website and entered in our information to see when we would receive, it told me to call the IRS at a certain number, certain extension and to give them a code.
So I did.
Come to find out, since we filed an amendment, and even though we paid the money that was due with the amendment, they are holding our rebate/or any credits on our account for 8-12 weeks until the Amendment can be processed by them. They cashed the check right away though!

I am pretty upset about this. This stimulus payment shouldn't hinge on anything. It is money that is given to us. It is supposed to stimulate the economy. If I paid taxes and owed more, any other time they would just bill me. In this case, neither is true. We don't owe any more and all is fine.
Sounds against what Congress was meaning for this money!

Second, we did not get docked for filing owning a business. We WILL be getting the full amount WHEN they decide to process the amended return (she said prolly in July).
So, for those that got docked for filing personal/business, I wonder if you had other criteria? Seems odd.

Man.

Yea I just found out that if you used HR Block to file or another place that charges "filing/processing fees" or/and used a RAL( Refund Anticipation Loan), you will get a paper check and not direct deposit, even though you chose direct deposit for your refund.

I am a bit miffed, to say the least...

A poster (she works for a tax place) on another board explained it ...

It has to do with How you paid for the tax prep. service.

IF you had the fees taken directly out of your refund you will be waiting on a paper check in the mail. Even if the remainder of the refund proceeds went direct deposit into your bank...you will be waiting on a check in the mail.

IF you PAID for your tax prep out of pocket (cash, check, or credit card) and had your refund direct deposited...THEN your stimulus payment should also go direct deposit.

I did my friend's at HR Block with Direct Deposit and she got her check yesterday. It was Directly Deposited just like her rebate. We didn't chose the option you are mentioning, just waited the couple weeks for the deposit. I haven't received mine yet but hopefully it will come soon.

__________________
Proud Single Mother to 18 year old Twins Ashley/Davey, 14 year old Shawna, 5 year old Emma, and my Boo Bear, "Angel Hope" (1996-1997) RIP Boo.

I'm sorry this happened to you. let me try to explain a little more, I know it won't help, and it still stinks but, Once a 1040X (amended return) goes into the system, it puts a "freeze" on the account because we don't know what is on that amended return till it's worked. It also holds the money you sent in with it till it can be worked so it does not refund out. 8-12 weeks is the normal processing time for an amened return. Some are done sooner, I hope yours is!

__________________
I have OCCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Coupon Disorder!!!

I agree with the OP. I did not get the money nor did my SO - reason both of us owed back taxes and in my case a Student Loan. Granted with my case my old taxes are now paid off and my student loan has extra moeny on it> But how did that help the economy? I certainly can't go out and buy the new clothes I need, I certainly can't buy the prescriptions my SO needs. I can't buy the roofing sealant I need for my roof. IMHP, and I know it not worth much to anyone but me, the whole situations ucks and was handled wrong.

__________________
Laura
Please visit my blog
http://mylifeinlaurasworld.blogspot.com/

Franny,
I hope so too.

Like I said though, it makes no sense. This money was not supposed to be used to pay back the IRS for anything, it was meant to stimulate the economy. That is why I am just miffed about it. This is NOT what congress wanted to happen to the money and not what it was intended for.

They cashed my check right away (for the 1040X, so they are not holding it..LOL)

But I can see your point. I just find it wrong that they are putting holds on money that isn't even meant for the IRS in the first place (KWIM?)

Thank you (and your friend) for clearing that up for me. I honestly don't remember seeing it on the IRS website before. I actually think I found it looking at the breaking news type section. I believe it had a date of 5-1-08 as the "change date". I could be wrong because I was wandering around the website for quite awhile. And I really don't understand why it should matter. Is it because they took their money out of our refund? We didn't chose the option of a RAL. We waited the time for the IRS to direct deposit it. So the only thing that happened is the taking out of funds for H and R.

I just got off the phone with the IRS. I or we will not be getting our checks deposted. We filed by turbo tax electronically, , choose to have the fees taken out of our checks. Since the IRS does not have our checking info, SantaBarbra Bank does, and they (IRS)choose not to deposit our checks with the bank, we have to wait for checks in the mail. How stupid. The IRS website needs to be more clear on the info about direct deposit.
So now it will be a month before he or I get any money.
I want my money so I can buy groceries, since the bill has doubled in the past month. I do not want a new TV, car, or shoes. lol

__________________
"Madison AnnMarie " 6/13/2008

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/g...t=8652d1ea.pbr

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/g...t=adbcb309.pbr

We had to amend our tax return as well. It has been about 6 weeks and we just got a notice they changed our tax bill so does that mean it has been processed now?

I was patiently waiting for ours, as I thought we would get the full 1200. Here today $600 was deposited. I called and was told we were only getting that much because we got the 401K credit on our income tax, thus making us pay less tax, and that was why we were only getting the half. Gee, they want you to save for retirement and to not depend on Social Security, then when you do, you are penalized. Well, better 600 than nothing, but it was still a shock to us.

Robin,
How much did you owe in taxes BEFORE the credit? If you didn't owe at least $1200, then you don't get the whole amount.
We got the child tax credit, so it made our tax liability quite low, and we still got the full amount for married + 3 dependents. But we owed more than that amount before the credit.

I received my stimulus payment, but it was less than what my friends and neighbors received. Why?

A. Your economic stimulus payment will be based on information provided on your 2007 income tax return.

Many, but not all, taxpayers qualify for the maximum basic payment of $600 for singles or $1,200 for married couples. Many parents are also receiving an additional $300 for each qualifying child, born after Dec. 31, 1990.

Your payment may be less than the maximum for one or more of the following reasons:

You are single and your net income tax liability is less than $600. If you file Form 1040 net income tax liability is the amount shown on Line 57, plus the amount on Line 52.
You are married and your net income tax liability is less than $1,200.
You are single and your adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $75,000. On Form 1040, AGI is the amount on Line 37.
You are married filing a joint return and your AGI is more than $150,000.
You owe back taxes.
You have non-tax federal debts such as unpaid student loans or child-support obligations.
Around the same time you receive your payment, you will receive a notice from the IRS explaining how your payment was figured. It is important to keep this notice as a record of your economic stimulus payment. In addition, you’ll get a separate notice if you owe back taxes or non-tax debts.

IR-2008-70, May 7, 2008

WASHINGTON — As millions of Americans begin receiving their economic stimulus payments, the Internal Revenue Service released a list of the most-frequently-asked questions –– and answers –– that people now are asking.

“Many people have questions about the stimulus payments, and the IRS has the answers available on the IRS.gov Web site,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “The stimulus payments are automatic for eligible taxpayers who filed a 2007 tax return, and taxpayers do not need to take any additional action to receive the payment.”

Stimulus payments started going out last week, and the initial round of payments will continue on a weekly basis through mid-July. In all, nearly 130 million payments will go out this year. Last week, 7.7 million payments were direct deposited, and the first mass production of paper checks begins Thursday.

Since last week millions of Americans have visited IRS.gov and called the IRS toll-free lines. The IRS reminded taxpayers the fastest way to get answers is to visit IRS.gov, which has payment schedules and other information.

Since the payments began, the IRS has been fielding a variety of questions centered on the payment schedule, factors affecting direct deposit of payments, eligibility requirements and questions about the payment amounts. The IRS today released an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions covering everything from when someone can expect the payment to whether it will be delivered electronically or on paper. A link to these Frequently Asked Questions can be found at the bottom of this page.

The most common question has been when people can expect their payments. Economic stimulus payments will be issued according to the last two-digits of the taxpayer’s Social Security number. For joint filers the payments will go out based on the last two digits of the Social Security number of the person listed first on the return. Payments will be made by either direct deposit or paper check, based generally on the option people chose when they filed their 2007 tax returns.

The payment schedule below is for people who filed early enough to have their tax returns processed by April 15.

May 7, 2008

Q. When will I get my payment?

A. Payments are going out now for those returns processed by April 15 and will continue on a weekly schedule through mid-July. See the payment schedule for both direct deposit and paper checks for further information. Payments will continue through 2008 for returns filed after April 15.

Q. I filed after April 15 and the payment date for my Social Security number has passed. How long will it take for me to get my stimulus payment?

A. It will generally take a minimum of six weeks after you file your return to get your stimulus payment.

Q. I filed my return on time, but I haven’t received my stimulus payment, even though the payment date listed for my Social Security number has passed. Why?

A. In general, the payment schedule only applies if your return was received and the IRS finished processing it before April 15. If you filed your return on time, but close to the April 15 deadline, the IRS may not have finished processing it before April 15.
Processing times for tax returns and stimulus payments vary. If you are getting a regular income-tax refund, the IRS will send you that refund first. Normally, your stimulus payment will follow one to two weeks later.

If you are not expecting a regular tax refund, your stimulus payment generally should arrive a minimum of six weeks after you file.

Also, if you chose direct deposit and requested a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) or had your refund deposited into more than one account, you will receive a paper check based on the distribution schedule for paper checks.

Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested a refund anticipation loan (RAL) from my preparer. How does that affect my stimulus payment?

A. Taxpayers who use Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) or enter into any other loans or financial agreements with a tax professional, such as agreeing to have return preparation fees deducted from their refunds, cannot receive their stimulus payments by direct deposit and instead will get paper checks based on the paper check distribution schedule.

Q. Will the IRS allow me to provide it with direct deposit information, if I didn’t include that information on my original tax return?

A. You cannot correct direct deposit information or request a direct deposit after a return has been filed.

Q. Is there something I can do to prevent my stimulus payment from being automatically deposited into the account that I identified for the direct deposit of my regular refund?

A. Generally, if you designated direct deposit on a tax return, the stimulus payment will go to the account number you designated. If the account number is no longer active, the IRS will send you a paper check. This process may take several weeks.

Q. I received my stimulus payment, but it was less than what my friends and neighbors received. Why?

A. Your economic stimulus payment is based on information provided on your 2007 income tax return.

Many but not all taxpayers qualify for the maximum basic payment of $600 for singles or $1,200 for married couples. Many parents are also receiving an additional $300 for each qualifying child, born after Dec. 31, 1990.

Your payment may be less than the maximum for one or more of the following reasons:

You are single and your net income tax liability is less than $600. If you file Form 1040 net income tax liability is the amount shown on Line 57, plus the amount on Line 52.
You are married and your net income tax liability is less than $1,200.
You are single and your adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $75,000. On Form 1040, AGI is the amount on Line 37.
You are married filing a joint return and your AGI is more than $150,000.
You owe back taxes that reduced your payment.
You have non-tax federal debts such as unpaid student loans or child-support obligations that reduced your payment.
Around the time you receive your payment, you will also receive a notice from the IRS explaining how your payment was calculated. It is important to keep this notice as a record of your economic stimulus payment. In addition, you’ll get a separate notice if you owe back taxes or non-tax debts that were offset or deducted from your stimulus payment.

The Economic Stimulus Payments FAQs section of this Web site has further details on how these payments are figured.

Q. The notice I received shows I should have gotten more than the government actually deposited into my bank account. What happened?

A. It could be that the amount deposited into your bank account was what remained of your stimulus payment after it was reduced, or offset to collect back taxes or other debts such as a student loan or child support. If this is the case, you will receive a separate notice about two weeks after you receive your stimulus payment and notice.

Q. I have moved since filing my 2007 tax return. How will my payment reach me?

A. You should file a Form 8822 with the IRS and a change of address notice with the U.S. Postal Service. This will ensure your check is sent to your new address. Without your current address, the check could be returned to the IRS as undeliverable.

Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested my electronic filing and/or tax preparation fees be deducted from my refund. Does that affect my stimulus payment?

A. If you requested that your electronic filing or tax preparation fee be deducted from the amount of your refund, you have entered into a financial agreement with the tax preparation provider or e-file software company for a refund anticipated check (RAC). Both Refund Anticipation Checks (RACs) and Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) are bank products. The money that is deposited into your bank account comes from the financial institution associated with your electronic filing software provider or tax preparation provider, not directly from the IRS. Taxpayers who use RALs, RACs or enter into similar loans or financial agreements with their tax professional or tax software companies will not receive their economic stimulus payments by direct deposit. Instead they will get a paper check that will be issued according to the schedule that has been published for paper check distribution.

Q. I chose to have my tax refund deposited onto a "stored value card" or debit card through the professional tax preparer I used. Will my stimulus payment be directly deposited onto that same stored value card or debit card account?

A. Yes, unless you requested a refund anticipation loan (RAL) through your tax professional or the stored value card or debit card account has been closed, in which case you will receive your economic stimulus payment by paper check. Because the IRS must wait until the money is returned, this process may take several weeks.

sorry for all the long post i just did but i just found this info and i thought it might help us all out a bit

We owed $1280, but then they took the 401K savers credit of $1000 off at the end, so we owed only $280. I guess we would be classed as the married with net tax under $1200 then. I sure appreciate the $600, but had been hoping for the $1200. Oh well!

DD thought she would get $600 or even $300 but I guess she is not getting anything because she is in college living at home and we claimed her. But because she is over 17 we dont get the $300 for her and because she was claimed by us she gets nothing. . I thought for sure she would either get $300 on her own or get $300 on ours. I think that is so unfair for her.

Ronnang,

We thought the same thing. Both of my boys made $9000 last year and both are full time students and they get nothing because we claim them. They were bummed. It really seems unfair.

Q. I filed my return on time, but I haven’t received my stimulus payment, even though the payment date listed for my Social Security number has passed. Why?

A. In general, the payment schedule only applies if your return was received and the IRS finished processing it before April 15. If you filed your return on time, but close to the April 15 deadline, the IRS may not have finished processing it before April 15.
Processing times for tax returns and stimulus payments vary. If you are getting a regular income-tax refund, the IRS will send you that refund first. Normally, your stimulus payment will follow one to two weeks later.

If you are not expecting a regular tax refund, your stimulus payment generally should arrive a minimum of six weeks after you file.

Also, if you chose direct deposit and requested a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) or had your refund deposited into more than one account, you will receive a paper check based on the distribution schedule for paper checks.

Q. I chose direct deposit for my 2007 tax refund but also requested a refund anticipation loan (RAL) from my preparer. How does that affect my stimulus payment?

A. Taxpayers who use Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) or enter into any other loans or financial agreements with a tax professional, such as agreeing to have return preparation fees deducted from their refunds, cannot receive their stimulus payments by direct deposit and instead will get paper checks based on the paper check distribution schedule

Why does it seem unfair? You paid less in taxes than you would have otherwise because you had dependents to claim. If your son had received the rebate, it would have been a double bonus of sorts for your family.

We gave our son the $ he would have received had we not claimed him. We saved on our taxes, PLUS we get the rebate, too. Perhaps you can do the same and then it won't be unfair for your boys.

Nightowl,

How did you get the rebate as well? If someone is under 17, wouldn't it be just natural to claim them as a dependent, anyway? My son's didn't really make enough money to matter when they were under 18, and they still usually got most of their tax money back in return.

On our end, I will tell you how it seems unfair. When a child is over the age of 17, and you aren't getting the benefit of the child tax credit, the child you had claimed-if they filed on their own- would get back more money than if you had claimed them. At least in our case.

The reason why we amended our tax return, is because I did the math and my 19 yo, who had income, qualified to receive more back from the government, then if we claimed him. So we filed the amended returns so he would receive not only his complete tax return, but also qualify for the tax stimulus check.

Yeah, that's exactly what my dad did. Had he not claimed us, his return would have went from like 8K to like 3k! Thats insane! So he said he would give us the money that we would lose by him claiming us.

__________________
Shauna

Our son is more than 17. We figured the taxes both ways, and it was better for us to keep him as our dependent and to give him what he would have received had he not been claimed as a dependent.
Others with kids might was to refigure their taxes and see if they want to amend their returns like you did.

Personally, I find this whole give-a-way nuts. I would much rather see the $ go towards stimulating the economy by investing in repairing our infastructure and stimulating job growth. But, I don't run the zoo ...

I was thinking it was unfair because if he was 16..at least we would receive the money and could give it to them. And yes, I can very easily give them each $300 of our money, but I won't. We pay alot for college tution, car payments and rent for one of them....I think they get their fair share from us.

As for the IRS, I wonder why it matters if he claims himself as a dependent or if we claim him....one way or another he is a dependent.

I agree....this whole give a way is NUTS. It is going to cost us alot more in the future.