Tax Deadline Approaches
Added significance this year
By Kaye A. Thomas
Posted October 1, 2008
Last chance for a stimulus check this year.
If you're one of the 10 million taxpayers who took an extension of time to file your 2007 income tax return, take note: like objects in your rearview mirror, that October 15 deadline may be closer than it appears. Murphy's Law says that if you play it too close you'll find that some vital piece of information or documentation is missing and not instantly available. Even if you have everything you need, you shouldn't expect your accountant to be cheerful when you show up expecting service a day before the deadline.
Stimulus deadline, too
The deadline has added significance this year because it's your last chance to obtain a stimulus check based on your 2007 return. That's especially important to the millions of people who don't normally file a tax return but qualify for a stimulus payment because they receive Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits. The Treasury has sent stimulus payments to most of these people but as of a recent count there were over 4 million people who could have claimed the benefit but had not done so. If you're one of those people, or know someone who is, you should be aware that it's not too late — yet.
Questions about eligibility? Or about how to claim the benefit? Or what happened to the benefit you claimed on a return you've already filed? You can get answers to all these questions and more in a part of the IRS website devoted to stimulus payments:
details: IRS Guide to Stimulus Payments
Related
- Fairmark Fast Form Finder (easy access to IRS forms and publications)
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