The IRS sent nearly $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief payments to dead Americans, a new report by an independent government agency shows. The Government
The IRS sent nearly $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief payments to dead Americans, a new report by an independent government agency shows.
The Government Accountability Office said the error involved almost 1.1 million checks and direct deposits sent to ineligible Americans. The payments were part of the coronavirus aid package passed in March known as the CARES Act.
So far, the IRS has dispersed over 160 million payments — worth nearly $270 billion — to people for coronavirus relief.
The improper payments happened because of confusion over whether dead people should receive payments, the GAO report concludes.
In the hectic early days, as the IRS was preparing to send out millions of payments, the tax bureau bypassed established protocols, declined to use available death records and did not clearly communicate with the Treasury Department, which oversees its work.
