On March 10, 2008, OhMyGov! told you about "Government Waste at its Finest" in the form of individual letters informing us of the upcoming stimulus rebate checks for the many US taxpayers living in wilderness cabins, primitive caves, and desert islands who might not already be aware of the extra cha-ching the government promised is coming their way.
Well, our own little piece of that $41.8 million arrived in our personal mailboxes yesterday, the Economic Stimulus Payment Notice (see attached). This actually could be a fairly useful piece of communication if it answered the key questions most people have about the stimulus: Do I qualify? If so, how much am I getting? When will the money arrive? Let's see if we can find those answers here.
- Do I qualify? Answer: "...you may be entitled...".
- How much am I getting? Answer: "...you may receive as much as $600 ($1,200 if married and filling jointly)."
- When will the money arrive? Answer: "..starting in May."
At least the date was pretty straightforward, but whether I qualify and how much I'm getting is no clearer to me now than it was before the mail arrived.
Great job IRS!