Relief Payment Glitches Need to Be Fixed, Lawmakers Tell IRS

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is calling on the IRS to quickly address problems stemming from the hundreds of billions of dollars in relief payments it is issuing to Americans.

The tax agency has come under fire in the process of distributing the $1,200 payments, which were part of the sweeping CARES Act relief law (Public Law 116-136). A government watchdog found nearly $1.4 billion in payments went to deceased individuals, and the IRS has had to ask for families to send those checks back.

• More than 100 lawmakers, including Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), wrote to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig Thursday asking to resolve errors surrounding the economic impact payments, and expand its capacity to address claims.

• National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins has previously said the agency doesn’t yet have a system to fix issues with the payments, such as improper amounts. The agency has addressed some common questions through website FAQs.
• Concern areas include the “Get My Payment” tool on the agency’s website, meant to help Americans track the status of their payments.
• Some individuals have also questioned why they haven’t received their payment through direct deposit, despite the IRS having their account information on file, the lawmakers said.