Lawmakers are still in a tussle over the next stimulus package. Since there are no signs yet of second coronavirus stimulus checks, the IRS is using the time to address the issues with the first checks, as well as get the payment to those who are eligible but haven’t yet gotten their check. On Tuesday, the FTC informed that the IRS would start to send out letters to those who haven’t yet claimed their coronavirus stimulus checks.
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In a post on Tuesday, the FTC informed that the letters would be sent to about nine million people who haven’t yet claimed their coronavirus stimulus checks. These people are mostly low-income people who don’t usually file a tax return, or who didn’t file a tax return for 2018 or 2019.
As per the IRS, many of these people may not know if they qualify for the economic impact payment (EIP) or not. The letter, as per the IRS, would inform people about how to register on the IRS website to claim their payment by October 15, 2020.
“If you get this letter from the IRS, it’s legit. Go only to the IRS’s real website at IRS.gov/EIP, or call them directly at 800-919-9835 to register to claim your payment,” the IRS says.
Along with informing people about the EIP payment that they may be eligible for, the latest post also aims to inform people that the letter they would be getting is real and not any scam or junk mail.
There have been several instances before where people mistook the IRS letter about the stimulus payment as junk mail. Also, when the IRS was sending the stimulus payment in the form of an EIP debit card, many people mistook the card as junk mail and threw it away.
In Tuesday’s post, the agency also shared a sample letter that people can expect to receive in the coming days. The Department of the Treasury will be sending out this letter. In the upper-right corner, it will include a notice date and notice number.
In its Tuesday post, the FTC also asked people to be cautious about stimulus checks related scams. The post says that if anyone contacts you (calls, emails, or texts), claiming to be from the IRS and offers help to get the stimulus payment, then that person is an imposter.
“Hang up, and don’t respond to or click on any links in texts or emails,” the post said.
Further, the post says that the IRS will never call, text or email about the economic impact payment, and nor would it ask for any fee in return for the stimulus payment. The post requests users to complain to the FTC if they come across any such scams. For more information on the stimulus payments, one can visit the IRS’s website.
