WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPRI) – The Internal Revenue Service will be mailing letters to close to 25,000 Rhode Islanders to see if they’re eligible for a federal stimulus check.
The letters are being sent to roughly 9 million people across the U.S. who typically aren’t required to file federal income tax returns but may qualify for an Economic Impact Payment. The IRS said the letters are being sent to those who haven’t filed a return for 2018 or 2019 and likely have very low incomes.
These payments are still part of the first round of stimulus checks issued by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- MORE: Second stimulus checks: Lawmakers leave for weekend without deal in sight
- PHOTO: Click here to see what the letter will look like.
The letter doesn’t guarantee the recipient is eligible for a stimulus check. In order to be eligible, someone must be a U.S. citizen, have a work-eligible Social Security number, and cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return.
“The IRS continues to work hard to reach people eligible for these payments,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. “These mailings are the latest step by the IRS to reach as many people as possible for these important payments.”
Through the stimulus check program, those who are eligible can receive up to $1,200, and married couples can receive up to $2,400. People with qualifying children under age 17 at the end of 2019 can get up to an additional $500 for each qualifying child.
In July, the IRS said it had paid out more than $266 billion in Economic Impact Payments. In Rhode Island, there were more almost 559,000 stimulus checks issued with a total value of $897 million.
The deadline for people to register for stimulus checks is Oct. 15.
