A million US taxpayers to get pandemic-era stimulus checks worth up to $1,400

Washington: The IRS is sending out special $1,400 payments to about a million taxpayers who missed out on the 2021 recovery rebate. This could be the last round of pandemic stimulus checks.

They found that many folks who were eligible didn’t get their Economic Impact Payments, also known as “stimi” payments. So, they decided to take this extra step to help out.

During the pandemic, there were three rounds of these payments, totaling around $4,500 for US citizens. That’s a whopping $931 billion spent from April 2020 to December 2021!

Now, they’re looking at about $2.4 billion going out this time. The CARES Act of 2020 was a big deal, providing $1.8 trillion to tackle both the health crisis and the economic mess that followed.

And let’s not forget, the government spent trillions more through various programs to help people out.

The IRS mentioned that eligible taxpayers don’t need to do anything to get these payments. They should see the money in their accounts or receive a check by late January.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said they’re committed to helping taxpayers and that these payments show they’re willing to go the extra mile.

Interestingly, these late payments come as federal authorities are still tracking down billions in Covid-19 relief funds that might have been fraudulently claimed.

According to a report from the Justice Department, over 3,500 people have faced criminal charges for more than $2 billion in losses, with over $1.4 billion already seized.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that their work isn’t done yet. They’re determined to investigate and prosecute fraud related to pandemic relief.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco even suggested extending the statute of limitations to recover more fraud proceeds and bring those responsible to justice.