Thursday, February 12, 2009

How You Can Still Get Last Year's Tax Rebate

The Chicago Sun Times posted a article discussing last years tax rebate, and how those who did not yet receive it can still do so. A snippet of the article can be found below, but the full text can be read here.

If you lost your job last year, you could probably use some extra cash. Here’s a source of money you may have overlooked: last year’s tax rebate.

In 2008, the IRS sent more than 119 million taxpayers rebate checks of $600 per person, or $1,200 for couples. Parents received an additional $300 for each dependent child younger than 17. The checks were part of an economic stimulus package enacted in February 2008. But many taxpayers didn’t receive a check, or received a reduced amount.

One reason was the income cutoff: The rebates were phased out for single taxpayers with 2007 adjusted gross income of more than $75,000, and married couples with AGI of more than $150,000. Congress based the rebates on 2007 tax returns to get the money in taxpayers’ hands more quickly, says John W. Roth, senior federal tax analyst for tax publisher CCH.

But the rebate was really a credit against 2008 taxes. As a result, taxpayers who didn’t receive a rebate in 2007 may be able to claim it when they file their 2008 tax returns. Likewise, taxpayers who received a reduced rebate may be able to claim the balance.

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