Color of Money
were previously properly issued, misleading correctional authorities about eligibility, and filing brief after brief in court trying to stop our fellow Americans from getting stimulus money.”
Inmates who filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return, received Social Security benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits in 2019, or previously registered with the IRS through the non-filers portal should get an automatic payment in the mail or by direct deposit.
Because incarcerated individuals are generally not allowed access to a computer, they will have to fill out and postmark a simplified Form 1040 federal return by Nov. 4.
For those capable of going online, there’s more time to claim a stimulus payment. The deadline to use the agency’s online non-filers tool at irs.gov is Nov. 21.
The economic impact payment is an advance credit for 2020. Under the Cares Act, payments must be made by Dec. 31. If people don’t receive a payment by then, they won’t receive their stimulus funds until they file a 2020 federal return next year.
By Nov. 9, the government has to confirm the number and amount of stimulus payments distributed as a result of the court order.
As a result of the classaction lawsuit, the IRS is required to reconsider any claim for a stimulus payment that was previously denied. The court order directs the IRS to automatically reprocess stimulus claims by Oct. 24. If you’ve already used the non-filers tool, you should automatically get a stimulus payment.
If you are in the group whose payment is being reprocessed, that doesn’t mean the check will arrive by Oct. 24; it may be delivered many weeks later, Dermody said. Keep in mind, the IRS is still experiencing delays in processing stimulus payments and tax refunds because of the pandemic.
However, after the Oct. 24 deadline, go to irs.gov and use the “Get My Payment” tool to ensure a payment has been scheduled.
Unfortunately, you won’t find a lot of information on the IRS website. If you have questions about the recent order, the most helpful information can be found in a FAQ at caresactprisoncase.org. Particularly useful is a link to a sample Form 1040 with highlighted instructions on how to fill out a 2019 return, including writing “EIP 2020” on the top of the form. If the person is still in a correctional facility, it also shows where to add the personal corrections number to make sure the stimulus check is sent to the right location and person.
If you still have questions — and you should read the entire FAQ — there’s a contact form to get additional assistance from attorneys working on the class-action case.
Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1301 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle. singletary@washpost. com. Follow her on Twitter (@SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook. com/MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer’s name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.