IRS sending thousands of Georgians letters about possible unpaid stimulus checks

Over 348,000 Georgians may still be eligable for stimulus checks. (Miami Herald / Contributor/Getty Images)

The IRS is mailing hundreds of thousands of letters to Georgians to try to get them to see if they are eligible for the COVID-19 pandemic economic stimulus checks.

The federal agency said in a press release that there are about 9 million people nationwide who aren't required to filed federal income tax returns but who still may qualify for the payment. Of that number, over 348,000 live in Georgia.

“The letters are being sent to people who haven’t filed a return for either 2018 or 2019 or already registered with the IRS,” IRS spokesman Michael Devine said. “These are people who may not have had to file a tax return because they appear to have very low incomes based on Forms W-2 and 1099, and other third-party statements available to the IRS.”

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The letter urges recipients to use the IRS' Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info tool on its website before the deadline of October 15 to receive the payment before the end of the year. If you are unable to access the tool, you can submit a simplified paper return as seen in the program's FAQs.

While the letter doesn't guarantee the recipient is eligible for a payment, the IRS says you are likely to be eligible if you are a U.S. citizen or resident alient, have a work-eligable Social Security number, and can't be claimed as a dependent on anyone else's federal income tax return.

Eligbable individuals can also wait until next year and claim a rebate credit on their 2020 federal income tax return.

To see an official version of the letter, see the IRS's website.

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