Stimulus check deposited into account of dead woman
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- While many Americans got their stimulus money deposited in their accounts already, there are millions of people still waiting and there have been several reported problems with the system.
From money being deposited in the wrong bank accounts to people whose deceased loved ones got a check, ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson has received a slew of reported problems with the system.
A Roxboro woman emailed Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "I just received my stimulus check, but it's for $2,400 instead of $1,200. You see, last year in March, I filed married filing jointly. My husband died in April of last year. Now I know that maybe that is why they sent me $2,400."
A Durham woman also reached out, saying, "My Mama passed away March 12; she received the stimulus money in her bank account. Do I have to send it back? She had already filed her taxes and spent refund way before she passed. I can't get through to IRS. Please help me if you can."
Troubleshooter Diane Wilson reached out to the IRS for clarity, but the agency did not supply an answer. It only directed ABC11 to the IRS website.
Besides hearing about stimulus money going to the deceased, a Fayetteville tax preparer says she's gotten more than $15,000 in stimulus money deposited into her bank accounts, and it doesn't belong to her.
"I want to send it back to the IRS and let them distribute it to the people who the money belongs to. This is too much money, and people need their money in these times," the tax preparer added.
She says for some reason, the IRS deposited the stimulus money of her clients in her business accounts as opposed to the taxpayers bank accounts.
"What the IRS did was instead of sending the money through the primary account, they sent it to the secondary account, which is my account. So I have all these people's money coming to my account. I know who they belong to, but still, I don't want this responsibility for caring for these people's stimulus money."
She says she tried contacting the IRS.
"You can't even call the IRS. I've tried so many numbers trying to call the IRS."
Another mix-up Troubleshooter Diane Wilson is hearing a lot about involves taxpayers who got an assisted refund or refund when they filed their most recent taxes.
Instead of the stimulus money going to their accounts, it's going to a different account associated with the bank products that the company who prepared their taxes used for that advance loan.
"It was it was deposited in the account today, but the account number at the bottom that's not my account number," Durham resident Keona Eason said.
She says she doesn't understand why the mix-up happened as her tax refund was deposited in her bank account, so why wouldn't the stimulus money?
"I'm pretty upset about it because right now, I'm a school bus driver, so we are not working right now. People are banking on those checks to help pay their bills, so it's kind of frustrating."
A representative for Jackson Hewitt, who does offer the assisted refund and advance program said, "The IRS has not announced how it will send the stimulus payment to taxpayers who selected Assisted Refund (AR) and/or Refund Advance (RA) bank products during their most recent tax filing. Since we do not know if or when these taxpayers may receive additional guidance from the IRS, we are directing clients to Get My Payment to find their payment status, type, and whether the IRS needs more information, including bank account information. Jackson Hewitt is committed to keeping clients up-to-date during this unprecedented time."
