Tax Rebate Exclusions Draw Fire
Under the tax rebate rules established by the IRS under Economic Stimulus Act, if a U.S. citizen files a joint return listing a spouse who does not have a Social Security number, neither partner qualifies for a rebate. The result being, no rebate money at all for many U.S. citizens -- like U.S. military personnel -- with foreign spouses.
"If we are trying to draw a line to exclude undocumented immigrants, why on earth are we going after military families and the families of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who are obeying the law?" asked Paul Donnelly, founder of Reform the Rebate, in a Los Angeles Times article.
Also excluded from getting a tax rebate are persons filing tax returns listing anyone -- including dependants -- with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), rather than a Social Security Number. The IRS issues ITINs to persons including legal and illegal immigrants who cannot get Social Security numbers and are not authorized to work legally in the United States. While ITINs can be used to pay taxes, open bank accounts and borrow money, they have been ruled invalid for purposes of getting a tax rebate.
More Tax Rebate Resources
IRS Admits Tax Rebate Mistakes Were Made
Where's My Rebate? Find Out Here
Tax Rebate Information Directory
Comments
Why are college students who are claimed as dependents by their parents because they’re still supporting them and paying their loans not being counted as dependents as far as the stimulus payment goes. Or why if they filed an income tax return are they not entitled to a rebate. It seems that they have totally been excluded. They need the rebate more than many. Is this fair?
If a college student (or anyone else 17 or over, for that matter) files their own return and qualifies for a rebate, they get it. There had to be limits on who got these things and how much they got, or nobody would have gotten anything.