What to Do If You Get a Stimulus Check for a Deceased Person
The IRS sent more than 1 million stimulus checks to dead people. If you received one for a family member who passed away, there are certain steps you must take right away.
The IRS sent nearly 1.1 million stimulus checks – totaling about $1.4 billion – to dead people. And that's just through April. When stimulus checks were approved in late March, the tax agency worked feverishly to get payments out the door as quickly as possible. Well, haste makes waste. By focusing so much on speed, the IRS left a few holes wide open … like sending checks to dead people.
People who receive checks for relatives who are no longer with us are scratching their heads wondering what they should do with the money. Keep it? Deposit it into an estate account? Send it back? Donate it to charity? Something else? Fortunately, the IRS has specific guidance on what to do if you receive a stimulus check for a deceased person.
Who Needs to Return a Stimulus Payment
The IRS says that a stimulus payment made to someone who died before receiving it should be returned to the government. The entire payment should be returned, unless it was made payable to joint filers and one spouse is still alive. In that case, you only need to return the portion of the payment made on account of the deceased person. This amount will be $1,200, unless your joint adjusted gross income exceeded $150,000.
If You Received a Paper Check and Have Not Cashed It
If you received a paper stimulus check, and you have not cashed it, follow these steps:
- Write "Void" in the endorsement section on the back of the check;
- Mail the voided check immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below;
- Don't staple, bend, or paper clip the check; and
- Include a note stating the reason for returning the check.
Cashed Paper Checks and Direct Deposit Payments
If the payment was by paper check and you have cashed it, or if the payment was a direct deposit, follow these steps:
- Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below;
- Make the check/money order payable to "U.S. Treasury";
- Write "2020EIP" and the deceased person's taxpayer identification number (social security number or individual taxpayer identification number) on the check or money order; and
- Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the payment.
Where to Send the Returned Payment
Here are the IRS mailing addresses to use for returning stimulus check payments.
| If you live in… | Mail to this address |
|---|---|
| Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont | Andover Refund Inquiry Unit 1310 Lowell St. Mail Stop 666A Andover, MA 01810 |
| Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia | Atlanta Refund Inquiry Unit 4800 Buford Hwy. Mail Stop 112 Chamblee, GA 30341 |
| Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas | Austin Refund Inquiry Unit 3651 S Interregional Hwy. 35 Mail Stop 6542 Austin, TX 78741 |
| New York | Brookhaven Refund Inquiry Unit 5000 Corporate Ct. Mail Stop 547 Holtsville, NY 11742 |
| Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming | Fresno Refund Inquiry Unit 5045 E Butler Ave. Mail Stop B2007 Fresno, CA 93888 |
| Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia | Kansas City Refund Inquiry Unit 333 W Pershing Rd. Mail Stop 6800, N-2 Kansas City, MO 64108 |
| Alabama, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee | Memphis Refund Inquiry Unit 5333 Getwell Rd. Mail Stop 8422 Memphis, TN 38118 |
| District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island | Philadelphia Refund Inquiry Unit 2970 Market St. DP 3-L08-151 Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
| A foreign country, U.S. possession or territory, or use an APO or FPO address, or file Form 2555 or 4563, or are a dual-status alien | Austin Refund Inquiry Unit 3651 S Interregional Hwy. 35 Mail Stop 6542 AUSC Austin, TX 78741 |
