IRS reminds 70,000 Arkansans to file for U.S. cash
Posted on Saturday, August 2, 2008
More than 70, 000 Arkansans can claim more than $ 21 million in economic stimulus payments if they file a 2007 tax return, the Internal Revenue Service said.
The deadline to file for the payment is Oct. 15, David Stell, a spokesman for the IRS, said Friday. The law Congress passed authorizing the payments says they cannot be mailed after Dec. 31, so the Oct. 15 deadline gives the IRS time to receive the tax returns and get payments out, Stell said.
Nationwide, there are more than 5. 6 million Americans who are eligible to receive almost $ 1. 7 billion in payments, the IRS said.
“This particular audience is people who ordinarily do not have a tax filing requirement and who would not normally file a tax return every year,” Stell said. “In order to receive the payment, they must file a tax return with us.”
Several agencies are planning drives to help elderly Arkansans and their families file for the stimulus payments.
The Benefit Bank of Arkansas is offering free tax assistance Monday starting at 1: 15 p. m. at the Watershed Human Service and Community Development Agency at 3701 Springer Blvd. in Little Rock.
The Rev. Steve Copley, executive director of the Benefit Bank affiliate, said there are almost 9, 000 people in the Little Rock area who may be eligible for unclaimed stimulus payments.
“That’s an enormous number when you think about it, especially now with times so tough,” Copley said. “This is a special focus for us. We’re trying to reach out, particularly to seniors.”
In Benton and Washington counties, there are almost 7, 000 eligible people who still have not received a payment.
The IRS began two weeks ago sending packets to everyone who qualifies for the stimulus payments of up to $ 300 per person or $ 600 for a married couple filing jointly. The packet includes instructions on how to fill out a Form 1040 A, a blank form and a sample form that shows the few lines that need to be completed. The payments are less than the stimulus payments that most working Americans are receiving, which was up to $ 600 per person and as much as $ 1, 200 for a married couple.
“All it takes is a few simple steps, and the payment can be on its way,” Doug Shulman, IRS commissioner, said in a prepared statement. “It’s not too late to file, but the sooner people file, the faster they’ll receive their money.”
The IRS worked with the Social Security Administration and the Veterans Administration to cross-check individuals who had received a payment with those who hadn’t, Stell said.
But getting the message across to the targeted individuals is not easy.
“They can be a difficult group to reach,” said Julie Munsell, communications director for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. “As they get older and their health is compromised, many of them transfer the decision-making powers to their adult children.”
So instead of targeting senior citizens, Human Services often focuses on adults 35 to 54 years old, who make decisions for their parents, Munsell said.
Adding $ 21 million to Arkansas’ economy would make a big impact on the state, said Kathy Deck, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
“If the folks who haven’t gotten [the payments ] get them, they would do what everyone else has done,” Deck said. “Spend part of it, save part of it, pay down debt with it. So obviously that doesn’t mean that $ 21 million would flow into the economy right now, but part of it would. And that would stimulate sales tax growth.”
AARP plans to focus its efforts on northeast and east Arkansas first, where an estimated 20, 000 residents are thought to be eligible for a stimulus payment. Pat Jones, spokesman for AARP Arkansas, said no dates have been set for a sign-up drive yet.
“We’ll go where we think we can make the biggest impact first,” Jones said. “If there’s still time, we’ll fan out to other areas.”
Area Agency on Aging offices around the state are also trying to get senior citizens signed up.
“We did 46 outreach events in May and June,” said Elaine Eubank, executive director of CareLink, the central Arkansas area agency. “We went to senior centers, senior housing, any location that would have a high concentration of older people. We’ll continue to mail outreach material until October.”
At the southeast Arkansas area agency, President Betty Bradshaw said her group didn’t hold any special drives to sign up senior citizens.
“We get a lot of people coming into our senior centers and office for fans, energy bill assistance or Medicaid assistance,” she said. “The first question we ask is, have they signed up for their stimulus payment ?”
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