The IRS reports millions of unclaimed economic stimulus checks nationwide and hundreds of thousands of dollars still due to residents of Erie and Niagara counties.
“There is an Oct. 15 deadline,” Kevin McKeon, a spokesman with the IRS in New York, said. “We estimate as far as the statistics we had in September, across the state it is about 346,000 retirees and disabled veterans. These are people who don’t normally have to file a return.”
According to IRS data, Randy Galley, district manager for Buffalo’s H&R; Block tax services, said 24,000 people from Niagara Falls to Hamburg haven’t claimed their money.
He said their agents have been working to reach older residents but haven’t been able to reach everyone as the cutoff date approaches.
Galley said people who collected social security in 2007 and others may mistakenly believe they’re not eligible for the refunds — between $300 and $600 per claimant. Up to $1,200 has been approved for families.
A minimum income of $3,000 was required under the federal government’s plans to stimulate the economy by providing workers with money to spend.
H&R; Block is one of many tax preparation services available to consumers, any one of which can answer questions about who qualifies for the government’s sweeping rebates.
McKeon said more than four million people across the U.S. have failed to claim their portion of the funds. Of that number, 3,814 reside in Niagara County and roughly 16,461 hail from Erie County.
An event today at the Buffalo VA Hospital from 9 to 11:30 a.m. will be held for those still wishing to file.
As of Aug. 29, the IRS issued $93 billion in payments to 114.8 million individuals and families.
The service’s hotline tells individuals to allow up to eight weeks for processing after filing a claim. Checks, they say, will continue being processed for the remainder of the year. Those who file before the Oct. 15 deadline can receive money even after the government’s Dec. 31 cutoff on mailing checks through filing credits in 2009.
Local News
IRS: Many residents haven’t claimed rebates
IRS reports about 24,000 in Erie, Niagara counties have yet to claim money
- Local News
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SLIDESHOW: Memorial Day Weekend 2012
Niagara Falls celebrates Memorial Day Weekend activities on Saturday with a parade on Pine Avenue, a memorial service and viewing of the new Veterans Memorial at Hyde Park, a concert series on Old Falls Street and free boat safety inspections by the Niagara County Sheriff Department Marine Division at the City of Niagara Falls Boat Docks on Buffalo Avenue.
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Legislation protecting Falls air base units moves forward
The effort to protect jobs at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station got a boost from a committee in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
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Korean student robbed at gunpoint in Falls
Detectives are investigating the robbery of a 25-year-old woman Wednesday night in front of a motel in the 400 block of Main Street.
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Davis will not seek Murphy removal
Lawyers for accused killer Matthew “Bones” Davis say their client will not ask to have Niagara County Court Judge Matthew J. Murphy III removed from his case.
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Labor group laments economic development efforts
Economic development in New York state has become a joke to some in the area. And many of them are demanding changes to a process which spends approximately $3 billion a year.
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Repaving work on Old Military Road rises to $790K
Sometimes a change is good. Sometimes a change is bad. For the Town of Lewiston, a change can be pretty costly.
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Fifth-grader presents list of 400 names asking for new playground
A 10-year-old boy carrying a petition containing more than 400 signatures asked members of the Niagara Falls School Board on Thursday to consider building a new playground at his school.
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Bomb threat leads to arrest at NT school
A North Tonawanda teen was arrested Thursday morning for sending a one-sentence bomb threat to the computer of a fellow high school student, resulting in a brief lockdown of the school.
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Marching to the new veterans memorial
It's the unofficial beginning of summer.
Memorial Day may mean cookouts with hot dogs and hamburgers, a trip on the river in a boat or simply a day off from work Monday.
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