The U.S. Department of Treasury on May 5 announced about 164 million stimulus payments have been made as part of the American Rescue Plan, which Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed into law in March.
As stimulus payments have been sent, people have also received letters in the mail from Biden about the payment. The letter greets recipients with, “My fellow American.” A VERIFY reader, Christina S., asked if the letter is real.
THE QUESTION
Is a letter from President Biden mailed to stimulus payment recipients real?
THE SOURCES
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt
THE ANSWER
Yes, a letter from President Biden mailed to stimulus payment recipients is real. It is a 1444-C letter notice mailed by the IRS.
WHAT WE FOUND
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has passed legislation authorizing three different Economic Impact Payments, commonly known as stimulus checks, to individuals who meet certain economic criteria. Following each of those payments, the IRS says it is required to mail a notice to each recipient’s last known address.
“The notice provides information about the amount of the payment, how it was made and how to report any payment that wasn't received,” the IRS says on its website.
The IRS has been mailing notices to recipients of the latest stimulus payments. The notice has a White House letterhead and President Biden’s signature. In the top right corner of the letter is a notice date and notice number “1444-C.” At the bottom of the letter is a URL for the IRS website and a phone number to call to get more information about the payment.
Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt, also says the letter is real.
“As always, read the notice carefully,” Steber said. “It contains information regarding the amount of your economic impact (stimulus) payment, how the payment was made, and what to do if any (or all) of your stimulus payment was not received.”
Steber and the IRS say people should keep the notice letter with other tax records, so they know how much money they received. The IRS said taxpayers who don’t have their notices can view their stimulus payments through a personal account they can create on the IRS website.
“If you did get a stimulus payment, but didn’t get an IRS letter, then wherever a person keeps their records of activity (shoebox, envelope, folder, other notes), they should keep record of the amount they received,” a representative from Jackson Hewitt said.
Similar notice letters, which had the signature of then-President Donald Trump, were mailed in 2020 to people who received stimulus payments.
The IRS continues to make stimulus payments on a weekly basis. People can check their payment status on the IRS website.
VERIFY
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