Why you might not have gotten your tax rebate yet

ByABC News
May 12, 2008, 10:54 PM

— -- Your neighbor got one. So did your brother-in-law. Your loud-mouth co-worker received his last week and spent it at the track. You, however, haven't gotten your tax rebate yet. What gives?

The IRS, which began sending out rebates on April 28, will continue distributing them through mid-July. The rebates, part of the economic stimulus package enacted this year, range from $300 to $600 per person, or $1,200 for married couples.

Taxpayers who arranged for direct deposit for their tax refunds or who owed money but provided bank account information on their 2007 tax returns began receiving their checks on April 28. The last batch of those rebate checks is scheduled to be transmitted this week. Paper checks will be mailed May 16 through July 11, based on taxpayers' Social Security numbers (see box).

Still, some taxpayers who thought they would receive their rebates by now haven't gotten their checks. Others have received their checks, but the amount was smaller than they expected. Here are some answers to your rebate questions:

Q: The payment date for my Social Security number has passed, and I haven't received my rebate. Why not?

A: The payment schedule applies to taxpayers whose tax returns were processed before April 15. If you filed your tax return just before the filing deadline, the IRS might not have processed it by April 15, which could delay your rebate, IRS spokesman Anthony Burke says.

The IRS is offering a "Where's My Stimulus Payment?" tool on its website, www.irs.gov, for taxpayers whose rebates should have arrived by now.

Q: I arranged for direct deposit of my refund but also received a refund-anticipation loan from my tax preparer. How will that affect my rebate?

A: All taxpayers who received a refund-anticipation loan or who requested one but were turned down will receive their rebates by mail, says Amy McAnarney of H&R Block. Similarly, if your tax-preparation or electronic-filing fees were withheld from your refund, you'll receive a paper check, even if you arranged for direct deposit of your tax refund.