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What's it going to cost?

fff

Well-known member
$42 Million. $42 million to let you know that the IRS is going to mail you a check. What a bunch of bozos.

At a cost of nearly $42 million, the IRS wants you to know: Your check is almost in the mail.

The Internal Revenue Service is spending the money on letters to alert taxpayers to expect rebate checks as part of the economic stimulus plan.

The notices are going out this month to an estimated 130 million households who filed returns for the 2006 tax year, at a cost $41.8 million, IRS spokesman John Lipold confirmed.

That works out to about 32 cents to print, process and mail each letter. It doesn't include the tab for another round of mailings planned for those who didn't file tax returns last year but may still qualify for a rebate.

Democrats accused the Bush administration of wasting time and postage.

"There are countless better uses for $42 million than a self-congratulatory mailer that gives the president a pat on the back for an idea that wasn't even his," Sen. Charles Schumer said Friday, arguing the IRS could more effectively spend the money to catch tax cheats.

Keith Hennessey, director of the president's National Economic Council, said the letters are being sent to explain how the tax rebates will work.

"Any time you do something as a government tens of millions of times, there is ample room for people to get confused. And so if you're going to have tens of millions of taxpayers getting checks, you want to get the information out so that you have as few people as possible confused about what's happening, they understand what's coming, and it reduces the number of incoming requests that IRS and Treasury have to figure out how to deal with it," said Hennessey.

"Dear Taxpayer," the letters will begin, going on to say the IRS is pleased to inform the recipient that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law a plan that will provide payments of up to $600 for individuals who qualify or $1,200 for married couples filing jointly. The rebates are the centerpiece of a $168 billion economic stimulus package.

The actual rebate checks are scheduled to go out starting in May, after the IRS has finished separately mailing out routine refunds for the 2007 tax year.

The letters will be a reminder that people need to file a 2007 tax return so they will receive the rebate if they are eligible for it.

Similar notices will go out later to some Social Security recipients and those who receive veterans benefits — groups that often do not file tax returns.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23525100/
 

Mike

Well-known member
Some will appreciate these letters. Especially those that are on Social Security income, etc. and are not required to file tax returns.

Since you must have filed a tax return for 2007 to receive the rebate, maybe some of those that need it won't get left out? Comprehende?

The letters will be a reminder that people need to file a 2007 tax return so they will receive the rebate if they are eligible for it.

Similar notices will go out later to some Social Security recipients and those who receive veterans benefits — groups that often do not file tax returns.
 

fff

Well-known member
Mike said:
Some will appreciate these letters. Especially those that are on Social Security income, etc. and are not required to file tax returns.

Since you must have filed a tax return for 2007 to receive the rebate, maybe some of those that need it won't get left out? Comprehende?

The letters will be a reminder that people need to file a 2007 tax return so they will receive the rebate if they are eligible for it.

Similar notices will go out later to some Social Security recipients and those who receive veterans benefits — groups that often do not file tax returns.

I understand completely, but you seem to be having a problem.

The letters will be a reminder that people need to file a 2007 tax return so they will receive the rebate if they are eligible for it.

Everyone knows they should file a tax return and when it's due. It's on the news channels, advertisements for H&R Block, practically every hour on the hourl

Similar notices will go out later to some Social Security recipients and those who receive veterans benefits — groups that often do not file tax returns.

This notification is not included in the $42 million. There will be additional costs.

Now do you understand?
 

Steve

Well-known member
fff
Everyone knows they should file a tax return and when it's due.

I often assist vets file tax returns.. many don't have to, but the VA and other service groups encourage them to do so for reasons such as this and to get the small refunds some of them get..

but I often hear from vets saying that it's not worth the trouble to file.. so they don't and are not required to do so as VA pensions and compensation is tax free.. and not considered income..

many seniors fall into the same situation.. not enough income to bother reporting and most low income SS is not taxable. so why bother filing..

While I agree a cross check of a data base to look at vets and SS receiving benefits against a data base of those who filed income taxes, would have been smarter.. and quicker.. there is more then likely some stupid privacy law preventing the fed from doing the obvious...
 

Steve

Well-known member
a side note on the Letters..

if the letter has an endorsement of "address correction"

or "address correction" requested.. it would prevent checks from going to false.. incorrect and fraudulent claimed addresses..

not to mention address of people who have moved.. died, or for some reason are no longer at the address that was used to file the 07 taxes almost a year ago..

while I also question the overall cost as it seems excessive.. the savings of not sending out $$$checks$$$ to bogus incorrect, fraudulent address and to those who have moved might be worth the .32cents..

Using the information provided by the U. S. Census Bureau, let’s clear up the confusion and misinformation. Out of a population of 282,556,000 people, 40,093,000 moved. That’s an overall percentage of 14.19 percent annually.

These 40-plus-million people break down as follows:

23,468,000 moved within the same county,
7,728,000 moved to a different county within the same state,
7,628,000 moved to a different state, and
1,269,000 moved to a different country.

so it works out at about $1 per person just to cover those who moved.. not counting the bogus and the fraudulent..or the nearly 2 million people who died since filing their 07 taxes

sometime the obnoxious number is not the most easily perceived or understood.. but when compared to 40 million people moved last year less then a buck a piece to not send their check to the wrong address or to a dead person seems like an obvious savings. :roll:
 
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