OVER 77,000 WISCONSIN RESIDENTS HAVE YET TO FILE FOR THEIR ECONOMIC STIMULUS REBATE
IRS Report Shows Over 52,000 Are Ages 65 and Older
WASHINGTON - Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) today released a
report from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) showing that 77,354 Wisconsin residents-or roughly one quarter of those who are eligible-will not receive an economic stimulus rebate because they have not yet filed the necessary paperwork. Recently, the U.S. Congress authorized tax rebates for millions of American families in order to help boost our nation's economy. Many Wisconsin residents who do not ordinarily file tax returns will qualify for an economic stimulus rebate payment this year if they complete and file the necessary paperwork with the IRS. Senator Kohl serves as Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging Chairman, and is working with several Senate colleagues to urge the IRS and the Social Security Administration to increase their outreach efforts.
"Often older Americans are on fixed incomes. These rebates help seniors manage the rising costs of food and gas," said Chairman Kohl. "It's important that Wisconsinites understand that even if they owe no taxes, they must file a simple form with the IRS by October 15 in order to receive their rebate."
Those eligible include many disabled veterans, as well as seniors living primarily off their Social Security benefits. Payments to these individuals are $300, while married couples can be eligible for $600. IRS statistics show that of those who have yet to file for their rebate in Wisconsin, 68 percent of them are ages 65 and older. Wisconsin residents over the age of 50 comprise 84 percent of that group. Over 25,000 people in Milwaukee and its neighboring counties still need to file, as do over 4,000 in Dane County and over 2,000 each in Rock and Brown Counties. Other county-by-county data is available here:
http://www.aging.senate.gov/letters/wistimulusinfo.pdf.
The following information may help determine eligibility:
- Individuals have until October 15 to file for and claim their stimulus payment. Those who owe no tax will not be penalized for filing after April 15.
- The stimulus payment should not affect an individual's eligibility for any other federal benefits, such as Medicaid or food stamps.
- Individuals with at least $3000 of qualifying income will qualify for the stimulus rebate even if they owe no tax. This income can include any combination of wages, social security benefits and disabled veterans benefits.
- Individuals who owe at least $1 in tax may also qualify for the rebate, including those who receive private or public pension income.
Senator Kohl's staff is available to help Wisconsin residents determine whether they are eligible, and also assist them in properly filing for their payment. Feel free to contact his state staff at 1-800-247-5645. The IRS can also answer questions. Call them at 1-866-234-2942 or visit their website at
www.irs.gov.
#
# #
A breakdown of Wisconsin information, county-by-county, can be found here:
State-by-state information can be found here:
