How to return stimulus check to irs

Q: How do I return or stimulus?

Heres How To Return The Money If You Already Cashed Or Deposited The Stimulus Payment.

Brad Tuttle is a senior editor at Money who covers shopping, retail and general news. He also teaches journalism part-time at UMass-Amherst.

Table of Contents Show

If you already cashed or deposited the stimulus payment you got, here's how the IRS wants you to return it
If you never cashed or deposited the paper check you got, here's what the IRS wants you to do
Where do I put stimulus payments on tax return?
How do I return an EIP to the IRS?
How do I return or stimulus?
Who will have to return their stimulus check?

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Originally Published: May 07, 2020

Originally Published: May 07, 2020 Last Updated: May 11, 2020 10 min read

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The IRS has made some mistakes with the stimulus check program, and now Uncle Sam is asking for certain people to send their payments back.

Ever since the CARES Act passed and promised coronavirus relief payments of up to $1,200 per adult to millions of Americans, people have had questions — from who is eligible and who gets paid first, to how do you track your stimulus check, and what do you do if the payment is the wrong amount or was sent to the wrong bank account.

Your first thought after reading the headline might be, "who in their right mind would give back a stimulus check?" A lot of people who receive a stimulus payment can really use the money right now. And most Americans who don't really need a helping hand can certainly find something to do with an extra $1,400. So, why would anyone return their third stimulus check to the IRS?

For one group of people, it's because the IRS is telling them to send it back. They're not eligible for a payment in the first place, so that makes sense (although not all ineligible people are being asked to return mistakenly sent checks). There's another group of Americans who will want to return their stimulus check because they can't otherwise cash it. And then, believe it or not, there may be some people out there who just don't want the money. They can send it back, too.

So, should you return your third stimulus check to the IRS? Read on to find out. We'll also let you know how to send it back if you do. The IRS has specific instructions for returning the money, and you'll want to make sure you do it right. If, like most people, you end up keeping your stimulus payment, just make sure you spend it wisely!

The Treasury Department announced today that stimulus checks made in error should be returned to the IRS.

In this newly released guidance, the IRS confirmed on Wednesday that some economic impact payments were indeed sent by mistake to nonresident aliens, incarcerated people, and deceased taxpayers. It’s now asking those recipients, or their family members, to return the money.

In addition, a change in filing status between years could cause an error in stimulus payments received, but no official guidance on repayment has been issued.

If you received a payment for someone who died in 2019 or earlier, the IRS says you should return the entire payment "unless it was made to joint filers and one spouse is still living." If you're the living spouse, you should return half the payment -- just not more than $1,200 in all.

However, if the check is issued in both your name and your deceased spouse's name (and therefore you can't deposit the money), you'll need to return the whole amount to the IRS. After the agency processes the returned payment, it will issue a new check with the correct amount for you.

For the third check, it depends on which tax return the IRS uses. If it uses your 2019 tax return, you'll likely get to keep the amount you received for the person who has died.

If you already cashed or deposited the stimulus payment you got, here's how the IRS wants you to return it

If you've already cashed or deposited your check, here's what to do.

1. Use a personal check or money order and make the check payable to the US Treasury. You'll also need to write "2020 EIP" and include the taxpayer identification number or Social Security number of the person whose name is on the check.

2. On a separate piece of paper, let the IRS know why you're sending the check back.

3. Mail the check to the appropriate IRS location -- that depends on which state you live in.

Make sure you know if you got the right amount.

Sarah Tew/CNET

If you never cashed or deposited the paper check you got, here's what the IRS wants you to do

If any of the above situations pertain to you, you may need to send your stimulus check back. Here's how to do it for each scenario, per the IRS.

Where do I put stimulus payments on tax return?

To claim your stimulus payment, look for Line 30 on your 1040 tax form.

How do I return an EIP to the IRS?

How should an individual return an Economic Impact Payment?.

Write Void in the endorsement section on the back of the check..

Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the appropriate IRS location..

Don't staple, bend or paper clip the check..

Include a brief explanation of why they return the check..

How do I return or stimulus?

Here's How To Return The Money If You Already Cashed Or Deposited The Stimulus Payment.

Use a personal check or money order and make the check payable to the US Treasury. ... .

On a separate piece of paper, let the IRS know why you're sending the check back..

Who will have to return their stimulus check?

The income cutoff to receive a third stimulus check is $80,000 for an individual taxpayer, $120,000 for a head of household and $160,000 for a married couple that files jointly. If you make more than that amount and still got a payment, the IRS will likely expect you to return all or some of it.