IRS Plans to Send $2.4B in ‘Stimulus Checks’ to Over a Million Taxpayers Who Never Claimed Them

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The IRS plans to send $2.4 billion in missed 2021 Recovery Rebate Credits to roughly one million taxpayers who did not initially claim them.

Key Facts:

– An estimated 1 million people failed to include the credit on their 2021 returns.
– Each eligible person can receive up to $1,400.
– Payments will go out automatically between December and late January.
– Taxpayers who did not file in 2021 can still submit their returns by April 15, 2025, to claim the credit.
– This program amounts to a $2.4 billion disbursement of taxpayer dollars.

The Rest of The Story:

The IRS uncovered a large group of taxpayers who never claimed the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, even though they met the eligibility requirements.

Officials say recipients do not need to take further action—qualified individuals will receive a separate notification by mail and then, shortly after, a direct deposit or paper check.

People who did not file a 2021 tax return still have time to become eligible.

If they submit their paperwork by April 15, 2025, they can secure not only the Recovery Rebate Credit but also any other unclaimed refunds they might be owed.

Commentary:

It seems absurd for the IRS to dish out $2.4 billion to people who missed a line on their 2021 returns.

Why not let this unclaimed money revert to the Treasury, reducing our massive federal debt of about $36 trillion, or at least directing it toward more pressing government obligations?

Yes, taxpayers who qualify have a legal right to claim these funds.

But at the same time, our country faces significant fiscal challenges.

Handing out these late payments feels like an avoidable giveaway, especially when the Treasury is already stretched thin.

The Bottom Line:

The IRS will soon disburse $2.4 billion in unclaimed 2021 Recovery Rebate Credits, impacting roughly one million taxpayers.

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Whether it’s a thoughtful policy or an unnecessary strain on the national budget is open to debate.