Congressman John Shimkus is cautioning constituents about scammers attempting to steal Economic Impact Payments and tax refunds. ‘’The IRS will not call, text, email, or message you on social media about your payment or refund,’’ warned Shimkus. ‘’If somebody is asking you to pay a fee to get your money, that is a scam.’’
And Shimkus has issued a reminder for recipients of Veterans benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) who don’t file a tax return. He says if they have dependents they need to act to assure they will receive their full Economic Impact Payment this year.
‘’The vast majority of Americans will receive their Economic Impact Payment automatically if they haven’t already,’’ said Shimkus. ‘’But if you receive SSI or VA benefits and did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019, and have a dependent 16 years old or younger – you need to tell the IRS soon to get the extra $500 per child.’’
While their $1200 payment will still be made automatically, VA beneficiaries and SSI recipients in that situation must use the IRS Non-Filer tool by May 5th, 2020 to receive $500 per eligible dependent this year. Individuals who qualify but to do not report their qualified dependents to the IRS by May 5th can claim the $500 by filing a tax return next year.
Rep. Shimkus reminded constituents to visit the recently updated Frequently Asked Questions page on IRS.gov.
