Many North Texans are asking, what’s the hold up with my first stimulus check? Or, why didn’t I get the right amount?
Dr. Elizabeth Plummer is an Accounting Professor at the TCU Neeley School of Business. She said the IRS is overwhelmed with requests.
“They don’t have the manpower to talk to people on the phone, to send an email, to do that,” said Dr. Elizabeth Plummer.
Debra Benge contacted NBC 5 and said she was surprised when she got her stimulus check.
“I looked at it and I was a little stunned. It was $1287.30 and I had, by all accounts, been expecting $2,400, for my husband and I” said Benge.
Another woman, Sara Jubert, told NBC 5 she and her husband got a check for $2,400, but didn’t receive two $500 payments for her 5 and 7-year-old sons.
“We’re lucky because we’re both working, we’re able to provide for our children, but we could’ve used it for our mortgage because that’s the biggest payout we have right now,” said Jubert.
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She believes she didn’t receive the full amount.
Jubert hasn’t been able to get answers from the IRS.
“It was definitely frustrating, not being able to contact the IRS. It didn’t get me into a panic, but it kind of made me feel like I didn’t have anywhere to turn,” said Jubert.
“They’re basing it on your 2019 tax return, or your 2018 tax return if you haven’t filed,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Plummer, Professor of Accounting at TCU.
Taxpayers can find many answers to their questions at irs.gov.
In the meantime, people should receive a letter from the IRS within two weeks explaining the payment and what to do if they believe it’s wrong.
Dr. Plummer said the best thing taxpayers can do is follow the instructions on the IRS letter they receive.
“They’re sending out almost $300 billion to 135 million taxpayers. There are going to be mistakes. But I think in general, the checks are not going to be an error,” said Dr. Plummer.
The IRS is reminding people that they can check their payment status on the ‘Get My Payment’ application, and confirm whether they’re getting it via direct deposit or check.
But viewers have reached out to NBC 5 saying they’re also having trouble with that website, making it even harder to get answers.
