NATIONAL NEWS – IRS to issue unclaimed “COVID checks” to one million taxpayers

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

One million taxpayers are eligible for pandemic-era tax credits in 2021 but did not claim it can now expect a lump sum from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the coming weeks. It was announced on Friday that these payments would be sent out automatically to those who qualified for the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit but did not properly claim it on their tax return and will receive up to $1,400. The Recovery Rebate Credit was meant for those who did not receive a third stimulus check from the government in the wake of many job closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The IRS estimates that it will send a total of $2.4 billion to taxpayers by the end of January. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel stated that the payments came after the IRS reviewed its internal data and found that many taxpayers had overlooked the “complex credit” when filing their taxes in 2021. Additionally, in his treatment, Werfel stated that taxpayers would not be forced to amend their filing immediately and would receive their payments automatically.