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10 May, 2008

Where Mah Monay?

According to the IRS, I was scheduled to get my "Bump GWB's Approval Rating" check direct deposited yesterday.

I didn't.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, "Some electronic filers will have to wait until the paper checks hit the mail." The article goes on to say,

The IRS will not direct-deposit a rebate check for people who filed an electronic return through a private tax preparer such as H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt and got a loan in anticipation of a refund. Or for people who used a program such as TurboTax and agreed to have their online-filing fee deducted from their refund.


Well, I did use TurboTax, but I free-filed, and there was no fee deducted. I had to put in our account number once to have our tax payment deducted, and then had to enter it again for the direct deposit!

Perhaps the answer to this question lies on the IRS FAQ Page:

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.


So because I filed on April 14 and the IRS processed my return on the 16th (well, that's the day they took the money out of my checking account), I have to wait a minimum of 6 weeks for my check?

I hate the government!

(and also, I hope no one was expecting souvenirs from vacation... looks like the budget is going to be pretty tight)

1 comment:

Janette said...

I can't get the handy dandy little tool to give me an answer either. We filed in January, through H & R Blocks free online service, and our return was direct deposit. So that should get us a direct deposit stimulus check by the 16th, right? Probably not when the IRS says that we don't exist.

Oh, sure! When we owe them money they know exactly who we are but when we're getting some random free money they lose our info! Pffft.

No souvenirs for me, thanks! I'll be satisfied with our usual agreement. Take lots of photos and post them so I can live vicariously!