Make Sure You Get Your Check From The Government

By Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

(Washington, DC)  —  With costs going up on everything from gasoline to bread, I voted along with an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives in support of the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act. We were determined to act quickly, so that families could receive tax rebates of up to $1,200 per couple, plus $300 per child, as early as mid-May.

The bill is estimated to provide an average tax rebate of $819 to Florida families, saving 8.3 million of them a total of $6.8 billion across the state, and creating new jobs.

Most Florida families will receive their stimulus checks automatically after they file their 2007 Tax Return. However, some Florida residents, including many retirees in South Florida, are not required to file a tax return. These residents will have to file some paperwork to obtain an economic stimulus check from the federal government.

To qualify for a stimulus payment you must have at least $3,000 in income. It is important to note that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment. Many Social Security recipients, as well as certain veterans’ benefits and combat pay recipients do not have to file returns.

If you qualify but don’t file an income tax return, it is important that you take the time to provide some information to the IRS so that you can receive your stimulus check. These checks can be $300 per individual and $300 for each additional child.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: All you have to do to get the stimulus payment is file a 2007 IRS Form 1040 or Form 1040A and report at least $3,000 in qualifying income on the form. You can include the amount of your SSA benefits to qualify for the stimulus payment.

QUALIFYING INCOME: Add the amount of your Social Security benefits to other qualifying income, such as wage earnings or certain benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reach the $3,000 requirement.

WHAT YOU FILL OUT: You will enter your name, address, Social Security Number, and filing status on the IRS form 1040 or 1040A. Then simply enter the amount of benefits reported to you in January on Form 1099-SSA on Line 14a of Form 1040A or Line 20a of Form 1040. If you don’t have Form 1099-SSA, you can estimate your Social Security benefits by taking the monthly amount you received last year and multiplying it by the number of months you received a check. If you need to include wage earnings to reach the $3,000 qualifying level, enter that amount on Line 7 of Form 1040A or 1040. In addition, you should write the words “Stimulus Payment” at the top of the 1040A or 1040.

And don’t worry if April 15th has passed you by, you can still receive your stimulus check if you file a return by October 15, 2008.

I’m working with my colleagues in Congress to help address the issues facing the American family in these challenging economic times. The economic stimulus package that we passed was something immediate that we could do to help combat rising prices and pump needed money into small businesses. We will continue our longer term work at fixing the housing foreclosure crisis, reducing oil prices by investing in new technologies and holding oil companies reaping record profits accountable for their practices.