Checks in the mail: Scam revealed and IRS goofs on rebate notifications

July 27, 2001
Santa Paula News

Although the highest tax rebate that is being sent is $600 per married couples, there’s already somebody out there trying to get a piece of it.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesAlthough the highest tax rebate that is being sent is $600 per married couples, there’s already somebody out there trying to get a piece of it. That is if you get a rebate at all,The U.S. Postal Service has already filed a complaint against a group that sent out official-looking mailers offering to calculate their coming tax rebates. . .for a fee, of course.“Revenue Resource Center” is the name of the group which describes itself as a “Non-Partisan Bureaucratic Agency” that is believed to be based in Boca Raton, Florida.Although offering to do something for a fee that is not needed is on the borderline of scamming, a new law passed by Congress last year - the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act - requires that any solicitation requesting payment for a service or product provided free by the government also include a clear and “conspicuous” statement indicating that the no-charge option exists.
The deceptive postcard resembles official IRS mail and includes the words, “Form 2001 16-B” to further confuse the issue of just how much of a rebate - if any - a taxpayer can expect. The charge for calculating the rebate ranges from $12.95 to $17.95What might further confuse the issue is that about 500,000 of the official tax rebate notifications sent out by the IRS overstated the amount of the taxpayers’ refunds; corrected notices as expected to be mailed as soon as possible.In all, about 112 million notices will be mailed out by the IRS informing taxpayers what their rebate will be.But not everyone is getting a check in the mail from Uncle Sam: the amount of the check can be reduced by any outstanding federal debt owed by the taxpayer, such as past due child support or federal or state income taxes.Due to the volume of checks being sent out, the rebate program - started this week - was based on the last two digits in the taxpayer’s Social Security number. If your Social Security number ends with 95 and up, you’ll have to wait until the week of September 24 to get your rebate check.



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