IRS Stimulus Pmt Lookup Site

[equinecpa]

Can we rely on this? I'm doing a return for a client. Site says the couple got $900. Client says $600.00.

Anyone have any KNOWN instances where the amount the website lists is incorrect?

[Jesse]

Unless the taxpayers have the letter from the IRS, and they should have received one, I would trust the site.

Did they receive a check or a direct deposit? If direct deposit have them look on the bank statement.

It would seem odd such an even amount, but would $300 of the payment have been intercepted from some agency?

The site is tied to the checks/deposits issued for the social security of record.

[AZ-Tax]

This morning the site said its been removed. and need to call

What is the website you are going to?

[Burke]

Can we rely on this? I'm doing a return for a client. Site says the couple got $900. Client says $600.00. Anyone have any KNOWN instances where the amount the website lists is incorrect?

None so far.

[BOB W]

How many children do they have ??? One?

[Jesse]

What is the website you are going to?

https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/IRServlet?app=IRACTC&selectLanguage=en

I just used the site, so it's back up and runnin'.

[Lion]

Missing Children

There was a time period when the IRS was making Stimulus payments and had a glitch with children, left off one or more. They said they were mailing out separate checks of $300 for the children. Did they maybe get $600 when expected and $300 later? If the IRS thinks they got $900 and your client thinks less, that's between your client and the IRS. They need to show you the letter they received from the IRS, or you'll have to go with the web site amount.

[RitaB]

Just what DID they do with those letters?

If it was the phone tax credit, they would have printed three articles about it so you wouldn't leave off that $50!

I would go with the IRS website, print the page as proof.

I made the mistake of asking a client this morning if they got the Stimulus Payment. Five minute discussion including, "I don't have to pay tax on that."

He couldn't remember what he got, but it was "half as much as everybody else got."

Me: OK.

[Lion]

Letters

I know. The ONLY letter any client has brought me is the one stating that there will be stimulus payments. NO one has brought in their letter re their specific payment. I hit the website before I begin returns. If a client wants to disagree with that amount, they'll have to show me proof or take it up with the IRS after I file their return.

[JohnH]

For me it's been a mixed bag. A few have the letter stating the amount, but many more have the letter saying they were due to get the stimulus payment. It does make one wonder how people decide what correspondence to keep, especially since both letters looked very similar to a casual observer. Murphy's law, I guess.

I looked up quite a few of them for clients last year as a courtesy and so I just went ahead & printed off the info at that time & stuck it in their folder. But I have learned not to ask because I don't want the extended conversation about politics, the economy, Bush, Obama, the Democrans and Republicrats, Ron Paul, the evil bankers, auto executives, etc. If they didn't provide the letter and if I didn't print something off last year, I just go to the lookup site without asking them anything.

Of course, in 90% of the cases it's easy to make the upfront decision about whether or not they might be eligible for the credit this year. The lookup just confirms what we already know, one way or the other.

[tpnl]

Put the $900. If they only got $600 and are entitled to more, the IRS will add that to the refund. I am finding that returns with the correct amount of RRC are processed timely by the IRS. However, if I can not get the RRC (not a client last year), the refunds are delayed up to two weeks in some cases. I also find that when I use the correct amount and they are entitled to more, it takes one or more weeks longer for clients to get refunds.

[Jesse]

But I have learned not to ask because I don't want the extended conversation about politics, the economy, Bush, Obama, the Democrans and Republicrats, Ron Paul, the evil bankers, auto executives, etc.

I would go with the IRS website, print the page as proof.

I made the mistake of asking a client this morning if they got the Stimulus Payment. Five minute discussion including, "I don't have to pay tax on that."

He couldn't remember what he got, but it was "half as much as everybody else got."

I had one client tell me the incorrect amount - refund delayed and all my fault. This was before all the hupla about mistakes delaying refunds.

Since then I no longer ask and I have looked up every single taxpayer, the 2 seconds it takes for that helps eliminate errors and saves more time.