Stimulus Checks: Man Says He Received Both Direct Deposit and Check Payments

While some Americans are complaining about not getting their coronavirus stimulus check yet or receiving one that is not as much as they expected, one person told MarketWatch he received two payments. The person said he received a check in the mail, even though he had already received his Economic Impact Payment through direct deposit, and he cashed the check as well. The IRS has directions on sending back a payment to regional IRS officers outlined on its website.

According to the IRS website, if you need to return a paper check, you should write "Void" in the endorsement section. You then need to mail the check to an IRS office based on your location. For example, if you live in Massachusetts, you will mail the check back to an IRS office in Andover, Massachusetts. However, if you live in Nevada, you will send it back to an office in Fresno, California. You also need to include a note explaining why you are returning the check and make sure not to staple, bend or paper clip it.

The IRS also provides step-by-step instructions on how to return a payment you have already cashed or if the payment was direct deposited. In this case, you will need to send a personal check, money order or another form of payment in the mail to an IRS office. The check or money order needs to be made payable to "U.S. Treasury." You need to write "2020EIP" and a taxpayer identification number (a Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number) as the recipient of the check. Lastly, you need to include a written note explaining the reason for returning the payment.

There have been several glitches in the stimulus check program, including deceased taxpayers receiving checks. This sparked confusion among Americans until Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told The Wall Street Journal the payments would have to be returned. In this case, Americans should follow the same procedure outlined above. "You're not supposed to keep that payment," Mnuchin said last month. "We're checking the databases, but there could be a scenario where we missed something, and yes, the heirs should be returning that money. We will be issuing guidance on this shortly."

The stimulus checks were part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in March. As of Friday, the IRS has sent out over 127 million payments, totaling more than $200 billion. Individual taxpayers who filed federal taxes for 2018 or 2019 will receive at least $1,200. Joint filers were set to receive double that, as well as $500 per dependent under 17 years old. The checks were meant to help ease the economic challenges millions are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance in the past two months.