JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — A military veteran in Jefferson County said he has been struggling to get his last two stimulus checks for more than a year.
Jeff Fehlig, of Hillsboro, reached out to elected officials for help before he contacted FOX 2’s You Paid For It Team.
Fehlig said he spent at least three of his 11 years of service in the Army, but he still had a tough time in his fight with bureaucracy over the stimulus checks from the Internal Revenue Service.
Top story: NWS confirms 7 twisters, 2 EF1 tornadoes in St. Louis region
FOX 2’s Elliott Davis called the IRS and spoke to a spokesman about Fehlig’s case. That person said he couldn’t talk about a taxpayer’s tax situation.
Even though the spokesman could not discuss the case, the IRS was working to get to the bottom of Fehlig’s stimulus troubles.
Two weeks later, Fehling called FOX 2 with an update.
“I was very surprised to see a deposit had been made in my checking account for $1,836 from the Internal Revenue Service,” Fehlig said. “I had to rub my eyes and make sure I wasn’t seeing things. And sure enough, I received my two economic stimulus payments that the rest of the world received last year or before that I never received.”
Fehlig said he’s a 64-year-old widower and the $1,800 will come in handy.
“It was a very pleasant surprise, and I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me to make that happen,” Fehlig said.
St. Charles County family gets $4,000 stimulus check after months of waiting
FOX 2’s You Paid For It Team has covered other stories of people not receiving their stimulus checks.
In one case, Sen. Blaine Luetkemeyer intervened to help a Wentzville couple that Elliott Davis brought to his attention. He too reached out to the IRS so the couple could get their $4,000 in stimulus money after months of waiting.
One of the huge issues at IRS is a lack of manpower to handle as many cases as the agency would like to. The IRS provided some general information that may help others who haven’t gotten their stimulus checks. The agency said if you still haven’t recieved a check you were due from 2020, it’s still not too late to claim it.
Read the full statement from the IRS below:
Here’s some general information that may help others with concerns about their Economic Impact Payments, referred to by many as stimulus payments.
In most cases, a person’s best option is to file a return. If they didn’t get a payment and believe they are entitled to one, typically they need to file a federal income tax return. This includes folks who don’t typically need to file a return. On that return, a person can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on Line 30. This credit is equivalent to the Economic Impact Payment.
You refer to a $600/$1,200 payment. For most eligible folks, those dollar figures correspond to the second payment that most people received in late December 2020 and early in 2021. See https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/second-eip-faqs#Eligibility
If that’s the case, or for anyone else who is missing the first payment, typically issued in the spring of 2020, they need to file a 2020 return. Don’t file a 2021 return if the issue is either a missing first or second payment.
2020 returns need to be filed on paper, rather than electronically. Even though the deadline for 2020 returns has long passed, those eligible can still file for a refund. If eligible, they’ll get it in full, without penalty.
For anyone missing the third payment—the one most folks got last spring, we have more information at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-economic-impact-payment.
Those missing the third payment can file a 2021 return. The good news is that we will begin accepting 2021 returns next Monday. We urge everyone filing a 2021 return to do so electronically and choose direct deposit for their refund.