When’s the last time you received a letter from the government saying it owes you money?
Sure, you’ve probably received come-ons from would-be scammers who impersonate government officials, promising cash in exchange for some personal information.
But this month, the IRS is sending letters to more than 9 million households, saying they may have missed out on valuable tax credits.
The agency said it identified individuals who don’t typically file tax returns and appear to have “very low incomes” based on W-2 or 1099 forms and statements available to the IRS. Those people are being told they should file a 2021 tax return to get their money.
Among the credits are the $1,400 stimulus payments, the expanded child tax credit, which could be worth as much as $3,600 per qualifying child and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which could be worth thousands of dollars depending on how many children a taxpayer has.
“The IRS wants to remind potentially eligible people, especially families, that they may qualify for these valuable tax credits,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said. “We don’t want people to overlook these tax credits, and the letters will remind people of their potential eligibility and steps they can take.”
Filing a 2021 tax return is the only way to get the payments.
People can file a tax return even if they haven’t received a letter, the IRS said, noting there is no penalty for claiming a refund on a tax return filed after the regular April 2022 tax…
