People who did not receive the $500 stipend for their dependents on their stimulus check will probably get the money in a separate payment this summer, according to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig. Rettig spoke to senators on Tuesday about all kinds of stimulus check issues, according to the report by The Hill. He confirmed that the IRS is aware of those who received the wrong amount and it intends to rectify that issue sooner rather than later.
Rettig joined the United States Senate Finance Committee for a hearing on Tuesday, addressing the various instances where people received less money than they were entitled to. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, asked about a recent report by the Government Accountability Office, which found many people who used the agency‘s “non-filer tool” to apply for a stimulus check got one, but did not get the $500 dependent bonus they qualified for. Rettig was aware of this issue, noting that it mostly consisted of people receiving Social Security benefits. He said that the IRS planned to send additional payments to the group “this summer.”
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According to Rettig, about 365,000 people fall into this group. Still, compared to the number of things the IRS got right in the mad dash to distribute stimulus checks, he believed the agency has done a good job.
“So far, approximately 160 million economic impact payments have been distributed, totaling approximately $270 billion,” Rettig said. “However, there is more to do. The IRS remains focused on making sure every eligible American receives a payment.”
This was Rettig’s first testimony on Capitol Hill since the coronavirus pandemic began. He was there not only to discuss the recent round of stimulus checks ordered by the CARES Act but to advise lawmakers on a potential second round, which the Senate is currently debating.
The U.S. Congress passed a bill that would include a second round of stimulus checks, the HEROES Act, back in mid-May. It would produce a very similar relief payment to the CARES Act, though with some of the hiccups in the system worked out and with more inclusivity for dependents, immigrants and other groups.
The Senate has been slow to act on the HEROES Act, or on any proposed alternatives to it. The Senate is scheduled to go on a two-week recess from July 3 to July 17, so some people fear a second stimulus package is nearly a month away.
