IRS – the U.S. government agency responsible for tax collection and tax law enforcement, has decided according to AP, to release overdue economic stimulus checks to couples whose names do not match.
When a couple marries and a spouse, usually the woman – changes names, the couple is supposed to alert the Social Security Administration. Tens of thousands however, didn’t know of the rule and apparently were unaware of the consequences until this year, when they didn’t collect on the rebate package enacted by Congress in February.
The IRS told AP last month that stimulus checks would go strictly to those whose names and Social Security numbers matched.
But last week, on Oct. 8 to be precise, the agency changed course and said on its Web site that it regretted the inconvenience. The IRS blamed itself for the problem, saying married taxpayers whose names and Social Security numbers didn’t match “were inadvertently omitted from the initial economic stimulus payments.”
IRS said it will continue to work hard to deliver stimulus payments to qualifying taxpayers. The check will be mailed to about a quarter of a million married couples.
AP notes that it is unclear if the recent economic downturn played a role in the agency’s decision as a means of giving a boost to more people.
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