dependent recives stimulus check - now what?

[WITAXLADY]

14 yr old filed own return and claimed himself - amending so dad can claim - but child received a $1200 stimulus check

Shouldn't he return it?

Or not as parent will not get due to amended? But would have only received $500

???

 

Why would they give a 14 yr old $1200?

D

 

[Max W]

The check is supposed to be sent back , if the person was ineligible to receive it, 1.1 million dead people, lots of people in jail and foreign students.

Whether or not the IRS will pursue some kind of collection action is unknown.  

https://money.com/stimulus-check-deceased-return-to-irs/

 

 

[Abby Normal]

The IRS and the law said that no one should return stimulus payments. The IRS has set up procedures for decedents to return stimulus payments (which I disagree with) but has not said anything about dependents, as far as I know.

My policy is for everyone to keep it and deal with it on the 2020 tax return.

[Terry D EA]

Abby this will be interesting. I partially agree with your position. However, if a deceased person's tax return was checked as final, there won't be a filing requirement for 2020. Or if the return was not checked as final, the decedent would not have income (maybe some would as an estate winds down) and thus no need for a personal 1040. Not sure if this would be handled on the estate tax return if there was one. A lot of unknowns. I have a check for my deceased mother and plan on holding onto it until further guidance is given. I'm definitely not cashing it. The IRS mail is a nightmare and no guarantees the check won't get lost.

[Abby Normal]

People who died in 2019 are not entitled to the stimulus payment but those who died or will die in 2020, should be entitled to it.

There is no "final" checkbox on 1040's, but the IRS learns quickly that you are dead from the Social Security Administration. When I see an obit for one of my clients, and I have a POA for them, I quickly download the latest transcripts because if I wait 30 days, I can no longer download transcripts.

[Sara EA]

We moved last year and changed banks.  Our return was of course on extension, so when the IRS tried to deposit our stimulus payment into our old bank listed on our 2018 return it bounced back.  They then sent up a check in the mail.  Right on the envelope there was a dark black box that said something like "if recipient is deceased, check here and place in the mail."  I don't think they meant for deceased people to get them.

[Gail in Virginia]

12 hours ago, Sara EA said:

We moved last year and changed banks.  Our return was of course on extension, so when the IRS tried to deposit our stimulus payment into our old bank listed on our 2018 return it bounced back.  They then sent up a check in the mail.  Right on the envelope there was a dark black box that said something like "if recipient is deceased, check here and place in the mail."  I don't think they meant for deceased people to get them.

I don't think so either BUT if you check that box and put the envelope back in the mail, it comes right back to you.  At least that was my experience with my mom's stimulus check.  Which was addressed in HER NAME, DECD.  I know that there is an address we are supposed to mail them back to now, but I am not going to waste my time.  I did not cash the check.