Ask Terry Questions Stimulus Check to a Deceased person was returned

Stimulus Check to a Deceased person was returned

By Terry Savage on March 08, 2021 | Wild Card

My father died in February 2020. He received his stimulus check after he died. The estate attorney and a different columnist in the Chicago Tribune said it had to be returned. I had previously seen and believed another article that had justified keeping it, but figured the bank in Indiana would not have put it in the Trust bank account for me. Since it was returned, with the explanation that he had died, can I as executor now reclaim it? Father had paid taxes in 2018, I had to pay for 2019 taxes to be prepared and for taxes owed, and will have to pay for someone to prepare 2020 taxes for him, and pay any taxes owed. Some residuals came through after the first of this year, so we also have to file something next year. Since we have changed Federal administrations, do you think we can write and reclaim that $1200 check? I heard you on WGN 2-3-2021 saying that we did not have to return those checks. Thanks.

Terry Says

Long ago –last year — stimulus checks were sent to the deceased, and often made out with the word “deceased” included in the payee. The original stimulus checks were based on 2018 returns, and the law said anyone who filed such a return was eligible for a check. Then the Treasury Secretary threw a fit– literally on camera — and demanded the IRS claw those checks back. They even gave a mailing address. But a number of protests arose because that was not in the law. At the time I said it would take a while to see whether the govt would pursue those checks. I suggested depositing them –if the bank would still take them — and waiting to see.
But you mailed yours back. There is NO WAY now that you can recoup the original check. All stimulus benefits paid out fter Jan 25,2020, will be based on 2020 returns.

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