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Seniors, Disabled Veterans Among Eligible Arkansans Ross Encourages to File Before Oct. 15 Deadline
The economy is and always has been one of my top priorities in Congress.  I understand the pressures low wages, skyrocketing health care costs, high fuel prices and closing plants and factories are having on Arkansas families.  That is why I was proud to help pass the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 earlier this year which President Bush signed it into law.
A key component to the Economic Stimulus Act was the stimulus payments issued to many American individuals and families.  Our goal was simple:  return to taxpayers some of their own money to help boost the American economy.  However, there are at least 18,000 people throughout the Fourth Congressional District who are eligible to receive a stimulus payment but have not.  And, the October 15 filing deadline is quickly approaching.
Unfortunately, many of these unclaimed payments are for senior citizens and our disabled veterans because eligible households automatically claim their stimulus checks by filing a 2007 tax return.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has identified 18,755 low-income seniors, disabled veterans and others with disabilities in the Fourth Congressional District who are not required to file a tax return that are at risk of missing out on their stimulus payments.  As a reminder, illegal immigrants do not qualify.
In order to be eligible to receive an economic stimulus check:
§       You or your family must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income from, or in combination with, Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs benefits, Railroad Retirement benefits and earned income. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment;
§       You and any family members listed on your tax return must have valid Social Security numbers; and,
§       You are not a dependent or eligible to be a dependent on someone else’s federal tax return. (The same must be true of any family members claimed on your return.)
If you meet these requirements and have not received your stimulus payment, please contact the IRS before the October 15 deadline at 1-800-829-1040 or go to their website at www.irs.gov.  Or, you can visit my website at ross.house.gov.
We passed the economic stimulus package to ensure that those Americans who needed help the most received it.  With the rising costs of gas and food, I want to encourage those eligible Arkansans who have not received their payments to file with the IRS before the October 15 deadline so they will receive the money they need to help their families during these tough economic times.