Stiffed by the Stimulus Package...

I was not happy with the Stimulus Package that was passed the beginning of this year, but I decided to file anyway. With myself and 2 kids I would have gotten at least 900 dollars, which I wanted to put towards college and the business I recently bought.

I filed around March, and in July or so I got a letter from the IRS saying that there was a problem with my social security not matching my name, because I hadn't changed it when I got married.

So, I filled out the form that they sent me, and figured it would be straitened out.

Come the beginning of November I did not receive anything. Today I finally got a person on the IRS on the phone and explained my situation.

The woman told me that I was NOT eligible for a stimulus package, not because my name had been messed up, but because I had earned less than $3000 dollars in 2007.



This was NOWHERE on the paper I filled out to receive the stimulus package, and was NOT on the IRS website.

What really burns me is that they led me on for almost 9 months, thinking that I had money in the mail, which I would NOT have used to buy useless trinkets but to better myself.

They could have sent a letter informing me of this situation months ago. Instead they sent me a thing saying I needed to correct my number, leading my to think I was still going to see that money.

So, I am being taxed for billions of dollars of "economic stimulus" and I will NOT see any of it.

That's what I expect from our government, but... what I need is a middle finger icon, I don't see that.

Originally posted by asmeone2
So, I am being taxed for billions of dollars of "economic stimulus" and I will NOT see any of it.

Umm...if you're making less than $3000 a year then YOU are not being taxed for anything. Call me insensitive, but what made you think that you should get a tax refund when you didn't pay any taxes?

right, the premise was that you were getting back some of the money you already paid in taxes... so if you never paid that money to begin with, there was really nothing to "rebate" to you. The stimulus package was not supposed to be a handout or free money, although that's pretty much how it went down.

I dont make over $3000 and knew I wouldnt get anything.

It actually said in the "rules" that if you made under $3000 you wouldnt get anything. To receive the check, you had to put out = taxes = making over $3000/yr.

[edit on 11/20/2008 by greeneyedleo]

reply to post by BlueTriangle and Scientist


This was not the Rebate that would have come from paying taxes in but the Stimulus Package.

Not a tax refund--the economic stimulus. That was "printed on demand money" added to the national debt, which gets lumped onto the taxpayers.

My objection isn't so much not getting it, but being strung along for so long without getting a straight assesment of what was going on.

If I'd made a mistake that would have made me ineligible, I would have thought they'd tell me that up front, not wasting their own time and money asking me to send additional documents as if I were going to get something.


But, whatever, I just needed to rant, and get it off my chest.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by asmeone2]

Originally posted by asmeone2
This was not the Rebate that would have come from paying taxes in but the Stimulus Package.

Not a tax refund--the economic stimulus. That was "printed on demand money" added to the national debt, which gets lumped onto the taxpayers.

My objection isn't so much not getting it, but being strung along for so long without getting a straight assesment of what was going on.

Sorry, but you're incorrect. The economic stimulus was a tax rebate. They're one in the same. Check out this wikipedia link (Economic Stimulus for the details. You can also read the actual bill and see that it was never a gift, it was a tax rebate.

The $3000 number was pretty widely published too, I'm surprised you missed it.

I agree with Asmeone2 on this one. Some people really down on their luck were not entitled to this.

And with kids... Makes it even more difficult. I mean, the kids cannot bring in an income, are THEY entitled to nothing that every other child is???

Originally posted by asmeone2
I just needed to rant, and get it off my chest.

Perhaps it would make you feel better knowing that I have a few friends that all decided to file their taxes for the first time in years, in hopes to get their stimulus checks, only to realize once they filed, the government came looking for all kinds of backtaxes, and they ended up going into debt because of it.

Originally posted by LostNemesis
I agree with Asmeone2 on this one. Some people really down on their luck were not entitled to this.

And with kids... Makes it even more difficult. I mean, the kids cannot bring in an income, are THEY entitled to nothing that every other child is???

again, this was not free money to help people out, it was a tax refund. If you didn't make enough, or if you didn't pay taxes, you didn't get the refund. It had nothing to do with luck or entitlement.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by scientist]

Ok, well....what about those who were on SSI or SSDI?

I was led to believe I would get something even though I only receive SSDI. It didn't make sense I would get anything anyway.

I also understood elderly who are on Social Security would also have to file a tax return to get this also. HUh?

I received a form in the mail because I'm on SSDI when I han't bothered to file a tax return because I was under the limit to file.

I suppose if the rules were that anything over and beyond what I received from SSDI was my income, than maybe.

I had decided before that I didn't want to file a tax return just for a possible $300.00.

The whole thing didn't seem right, mostly because it was "as if" a rebate on lost retirement and undue market manipulated fuel prices.

I still think the whole thing was orchestrated and manipulated. Was it because of the costs of Iraq war? I don't know. Oil companies had huge profits and the goverment taxed these also.

So, since the oil companies and the auto manufacturers are bedfellows, than let the oil companies bail out Detroit.

If you notice the news on CNN, than you might also figure out how these same people in politics are apparently manipulating the market through the media by televising it. Too much information?...or just enough for the NWO and World Bank to take over?

Quite simply, I am not entitled because I have no 'proveable' income, and keep it that way for that reason you said, Scientist:

I have a few friends that all decided to file their taxes for the first time in years, in hopes to get their stimulus checks, only to realize once they filed, the government came looking for all kinds of backtaxes, and they ended up going into debt because of it.

From what I understand, filing for the first time, alerts them to your existence. And for me, it is just not worth it.
I am not disagreeing that it was not free money, or not to help people out. Just throwing in that it does suck. But I will NEVER take from those who think we rely on them.
I will NEVER take from those who think they own us. They could not bribe me for enough to enter into their system of corruption and greed.

reply to post by LostNemesis


I'd be right there with you... except most of my employers / etc. ask for a SS# - and when I've declined in the past, I missed out on work.

Yeah, the adminstrators will win in this one. Both sides of the pond, but they will spend, are distributed and so trickle down apples. This is an appalling excuse.... In my country, the right wing are trying to halt tax cut excesses and the left want to borrow like madmen to give us the biggest debt stimulus in history. At least the Conservatives will not 'cut' rather 'decrease increase,' in this mad cow disease.

I'm sorry that you misinterpreted the mechanism of the stimulus, but it's a rebate, not a give away.

I still get sadistic joy from informing working people who recieved the stimulus checks that their 08 tax returns ( why would anyone loan money to the .gov at 0% interest?) will be minus the stimulus.

Originally posted by jefwane
I still get sadistic joy from informing working people who recieved the stimulus checks that their 08 tax returns ( why would anyone loan money to the .gov at 0% interest?) will be minus the stimulus.

If you ever wonder why people are laughing at you while you're getting "sadistic joy" it could be because what you're telling them is wrong. Do the research, I did back when we got the stimulus checks and one of my misinformed friends attempted to get some of your "sadistic joy".

We'll see come January, I personally hope you're right. I can live with a little egg on my face. Wouldn't be the first time, but from my understanding any '08 tax return will be minus stimulus. I'd love to see your research, got a link?

I've got my withoholding set up to be pretty much nuetral in tax return sense, but my commisions are taxed at 35% so I end up usually getting something back. I honestly hope I'm wrong and you are right that's an extra $1500 I can expect when I file.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by jefwane]

I just found these few links quickly googling in regards to your '08 taxes and the stimulus...

About.com

irs.gov

Michelle

[edit on 20-11-2008 by Michelle129]

A simple google search will give you a range of sites, but here's a good one for you.

Consumerism Commentary

In April 2009 or thereabouts, when you file your taxes for 2008, the IRS will run the calculation for the stimulus rebate again. If the results show that you would have received more (due to an additional child, for instance), you will be sent the difference (or owe less on your final tax bill). If your results show that you would have received a smaller rebate, then you get to keep the difference.

To summarize, the rebate that will be sent out in May 2008 is a credit to the taxes you’ll owe on 2008 income, but it is a new credit, so you don’t have to “pay it back.”

Note the "new credit" line. What congress basically did is they passed a bill for a new tax rebate on 2008 taxes and advanced it to us. It is a new credit so your tax return will be the same as it would've been had congress not acted.

reply to post by Michelle129


Coolness, looks like I was wrong earlier. Don't see the same thing on the IRS sight that I see on the other site you listed, but hey I can be optimistic just this once.

I understand a little better now why it was so inflationary.

[edit on 20-11-2008 by jefwane]

reply to post by jefwane


don't get optimistic too quick. They may not hold the money from the next return, but they sure as hell inflated the money supply in the process, so you still lose.

Originally posted by scientist
don't get optimistic too quick. They may not hold the money from the next return, but they sure as hell inflated the money supply in the process, so you still lose.

I agree that the money supply has been inflated. However, it's not showing up in the currency market. The dollar has gone up dramatically against most major currencies.