Senator Hassan Calls on IRS to Quickly Address Issues Granite Staters Have Experienced in Receiving their Economic Impact Payments and Tax Refunds

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan is urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to quickly address issues that the Senator’s office has heard about from Granite Staters regarding their Economic Impact Payments and tax refunds. More than 100 Granite Staters have contacted Senator Hassan’s office because they did not receive the full Economic Impact Payments or tax refunds for which they are eligible.

“At the end of 2020, Congress passed and the President signed a bipartisan legislative package that provided direct economic support to individuals and families, including a second round of Economic Impact Payments of $600 per eligible adult and per eligible child,” Senator Hassan wrote in her letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. “I am concerned, however, about several problems faced by my constituents in attempting to access their full Economic Impact Payments.”

In her letter, the Senator outlines three common issues that Granite Staters have encountered with the Economic Impact Payments:

• Some Social Security beneficiaries have not automatically received their Economic Impact Payments, and cannot get information on the status of their payment from the IRS “Get My Payment” online tool.
• Some married constituents who filed jointly for their 2019 return only received a $600 payment instead of a $1,200 payment, despite seeming to qualify for the full $1,200.
• Some constituents who filed their 2019 tax returns on paper have not yet had their 2019 returns processed by the IRS. This has resulted in delayed tax refunds. It has also delayed delivery of the second round of Economic Impact Payments (which are based on 2019 returns). Due to this delay, constituents will have to wait to claim their Economic Impact Payments as a tax credit when they file their 2020 tax returns.

This letter is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to get Americans the stimulus payments that they are entitled to. As a result of efforts led by Senator Hassan and a bipartisan group of her colleagues, more than 18 million Americans automatically received their $1,200 Economic Impact Payments included in last year’s bipartisan CARES Act without having to file tax returns. This includes automatic payments to those who receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income, and VA pension, disability, or survivor benefits.

The most recent COVID-19 relief and government funding bill also included the bipartisan Automatic Cash Assistance Act, which Senator Hassan introduced with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), to ensure that Social Security, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries automatically receive the latest COVID-19 relief stimulus payments that they are entitled to. 

To read Senator Hassan’s letter to the IRS, click here or see below:

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

I write to urge the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to address several issues, at least one of which has been encountered by more than one hundred Granite Staters who have contacted my office because they did not receive the full Economic Impact Payments and tax refunds for which they are eligible. I strongly support President Biden’s recent Executive Order directing the Treasury Department to explore ways to quickly deliver economic relief to the roughly 8 million households still waiting for their Economic Impact Payments, and thank the IRS for prioritizing relief for struggling individuals and families as the agency prepares for the upcoming filing season.

At the end of 2020, Congress passed and the President signed a bipartisan legislative package that provided direct economic support to individuals and families, including a second round of Economic Impact Payments of $600 per eligible adult and per eligible child. I am concerned, however, about several problems faced by my constituents in attempting to access their full Economic Impact Payments.

First, I have heard from numerous Social Security beneficiaries in New Hampshire who did not automatically receive their Economic Impact Payments. The year-end relief package contained my bipartisan legislation, the Automatic Cash Assistance Act, which was intended to ensure that Social Security beneficiaries would automatically receive these Economic Impact Payments without having to file tax returns. I urge the IRS to promptly take steps to ensure that all Social Security beneficiaries receive their Economic Impact Payments automatically.

Second, many constituents who filed tax returns jointly with their spouses have contacted my office to report that they received $600 payments, rather than the $1,200 payments for which they appear to be eligible. It is crucial that IRS quickly identify and facilitate the adjustment of any incorrect Economic Impact Payments so that struggling families receive the full support for which they are eligible.

Lastly, the IRS has not processed many 2019 paper tax returns filed by New Hampshire taxpayers. In addition to significantly delaying tax refunds, this tax return processing delay has resulted in delayed Economic Impact Payments for these constituents, who must now claim their payments as a tax credit on their 2020 tax returns. I urge the IRS to focus resources on processing these returns and to rapidly process 2020 tax returns filed by individuals who have not yet received their Economic Impact payments.

As Congress considers additional economic relief and direct support for individuals and families, I appreciate the hard work of you and your agency in delivering the latest round of Economic Impact Payments and preparing for the upcoming filing season.

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