Why did I get an economic stimulus check?

Question

I am 19 years old, have no kids and I am unemployed. I got a very small paycheck for working one day of 2007, and I am pretty sure I had already quit my job by the year 2007. None of my family got a check, and none of my friends did either. The check was for $600. I'm not complaining or anything, just wonder why I got one...

Answer 1

If you only worked one day in 2007, how did you file a return for a large amount?  That makes no sense.  Something is wrong here.  I wouldn't spend the money until I checked to be sure it was correct. If you filled out your tax return wrong, there is some possibility that it would have looked like you were eligible, and that the stimulus check was sent out before the IRS did all the verifications that it was correct.  If that's the case, you'll be hearing from them to return the money

Did you collect social security disability in 2007?  If so, it's possible you would have been eligible for something, but not $600.

Go to http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/start.do and enter the info from your tax return and see what it says.

You shouldn't have gotten $600 in any case unless you had that much tax liability.  Your net income tax liability is one of the following depending on which form you filed:

·On Form 1040, the amount shown on Line 57 plus the amount on Line 52;

·On Form 1040A, the amount shown on Line 35 plus the amount on Line 32; or

·On Form 1040EZ, the amount on Line 10.

If that's not $600 or over, the check you got is in error, and you'd be wise to notify the IRS before they notify YOU to send back the money.

If that line is zero, and your wages for the year were less than $3000, and you didn't have self employment income that with your wages totalled at least $3000, and you didn't have social security disability of that much, then you should not have gotten a check.

Answer 2

It is a mistake. It appears that you did not file your 2007 tax return so you will not get stimulus rebate.

Call IRS and find out.

For information on stimulus tax rebate read: http://taxipay.blogspot.com/2008/02/are-...

Answer 3

did u file taxes?

only those that filed will receive one

Answer 4

If you filled taxes and made over a certain amount you should have gotten one. The amount I think was $1300 but I could be off on that.

Answer 5

To get a check for $600, you had to have had $14750 in taxable income when you filed.

According to you, your job ended at the beginning of 2007.  Unless you had a) a final paycheck for work done in December 2006 and a lot of unemployment, something doesn't compute....  review your tax return immediately.  If it's wrong, contact the IRS.

While the IRS isn't pursuing checks if they are due to an honest mistake, that won't cover fraudulent tax returns.

Answer 6

I do not know why you got a $600 check.  People had to get at least $3,000 of income just to get $300.  I would put the $600 in your bank and collect some interest.  I am sure the IRS will be contacting you because it looks like they made a mistake in your case.