In a rush to get stimulus payments as fast as possible, the money was sent to people who had filed taxes in the past two years, some of whom had since died. The agency said on its website Friday that its Fiscal Services Office has been taking steps to prevent more payments from being sent to the deceased.
“Canceling uncollected checks is part of this process,” said the IRS. “BFS has canceled pending Economic Impact Payment (EIP) checks issued to recipients who may not be eligible, including those who may have died.”
Congress included stimulus payments in its comprehensive $ 2 trillion economic response to the pandemic passed in March. It provided direct payments of up to $ 1,200 for individuals and $ 2,400 for families.
Eligibility was largely based on income and excluded people earning more than $ 99,000, and childless married couples earning more than $ 198,000, for example.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have sent payments through direct deposits, or as checks and debit cards mailed. The money started coming out in mid-April.
Instead, the Trump administration is pushing for a more limited approach. He is more likely to win Republican support in Congress, where lawmakers are expected to consider another economic spending bill in late July.
“There are a lot of discussions going on,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in an interview with Fox Business last month.
“We would probably like to target those people who lost their jobs and need it most.”
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