Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Update on economic stimulus checks
By Mary Lazich
Monday, Jul 21 2008, 10:50 AM
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is reporting that according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), over 77,000 Wisconsin residents will not get their economic stimulus check from the federal government because they have not filed the appropriate paperwork. The IRS says 68 percent of those who haven’t filed yet are over age 65 and 84 percent are over age 50.
The DOR has launched a summer campaign to attempt to reach Wisconsinites who are still eligible for an economic stimulus check. Here are the details.
To be eligible, you must file a 2007 income tax return, have a valid Social Security Number (SSN), can't be claimed as a dependent on a tax return and have either an income tax liability or "qualifying income" of at least $3,000. The economic stimulus payment is not taxable, and it will not reduce your 2007 or 2008 refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2008 return.
However, individuals with at least $3,000 in qualifying income who don’t normally file a tax return must fill out other paperwork with the IRS to get an economic stimulus check.
The deadline to file in order to receive a check is October 15, 2008.
Here are complete details on the economic stimulus payments from the IRS.
Be aware of one of the biggest tax scams of the year according to the Internal Revenue Service.
From irs.gov:
Scams Related to the Economic Stimulus Payment
Some scam artists are trying to trick individuals into revealing personal financial information that can be used to access their financial accounts by making promises relating to the economic stimulus payment, often called a “rebate.” To obtain the payment, eligible individuals in most cases will not have to do anything more than file a 2007 federal tax return. But some criminals posing as IRS representatives are trying to trick taxpayers into revealing their personal financial information by falsely telling them they must provide information to get a payment. For instance, a potential victim is told by phone or e-mail that he or she is eligible for a rebate but must provide a bank account number (or similar information) to get the payment. If the target is unwilling, the victim is then told that he cannot receive the rebate unless the information is provided. Individuals should remember that the only way to get a stimulus payment is to file a 2007 tax return. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra-vigilant. The IRS will not contact taxpayers by phone or e-mail about their stimulus payment.
