IRS tax rebate...

Anyone know if overseas filers are eligible for the upcoming tax rebate?

Probably not, but thought I'd ask anyway

Please do not take my word for this, but I recall reading in this forum that you do qualify assuming you have either income or taxable income, not positive which. I believe it was in a post by either Lizzit or guya.

Yes.

How do we end up getting it?  Do we file something, or does it somehow just come to us?

If you filed a 2007 tax return and you're eligible for the rebate, it'll just come to you.  If you opted for direct deposit (assuming you got money back on your 07 return), then it will automatically be deposited into the same bank account on file.  If you did not have a refund, even if you've used direct deposit in previous years, then a check will just be mailed out to the address they have on file for you.

hmmm. if we no longer live at that address then I think my check is lost in hte mail (mail forwarding is no longer active now). Guess I have to see about changing my address.

What do we do if our check is lost? (or have they not sent them out yet?)

oh doh, 2007 return! (not 2006). So, it will go to the address we put on the return. Yay!

More info for those interested: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179181,00.html

But, I've read enough to know that I won't be getting a stimulus payment due to our incomes. Pfft.

From the Q&A

People with no net income tax liability will usually get a minimum payment of $300 for a single person or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, as long as they have qualifying income of at least $3,000. To figure your qualifying income, add together the following amounts:

Wages that are reported on Form W-2.
Net self-employment income.
Social Security benefits reported in box 5 of the 2007 Form 1099-SSA, which would have been received in January 2008. People who do not have a Form 1099-SSA may estimate their annual Social Security benefit by taking their monthly benefit and multiplying it by the number of months during the year they received the benefit.
Certain Railroad Retirement benefits reported in box 5 of the 2007 Form 1099-RRB, which recipients would have received in January 2008.
Veterans’ benefits received in 2007, including veterans’ disability compensation and pension or survivors’ benefits received from the Department of Veterans Affairs. People who weren’t required to file a tax return can estimate their annual veterans’ benefits by taking their monthly benefit and multiplying it by the number of months during the year they received the benefit.
Nontaxable combat pay if the taxpayer elects to include it as earned income.

It seems that income from a UK employer wouldn't qualify because it wouldn't be reported on a W-2.

In addition,

Most people with a 2007 net income tax liability will qualify. This includes most people who get tax refunds. Net income tax liability is the amount shown on Form 1040, Line 57 plus the amount on Line 52.

This means tax liability is calculated after foreign earned income deduction is excluded.

So I'm not sure if those of us who only have income from UK sources will get anything.

I feel rather miffed.  DH made about $1000 self-employed in January 2007 (paycheck from Dec. work - we moved here January 9th), and because of that, we owe taxes on that.  Obviously our UK income is excluded, so we don't pay on that.  So, we're paying taxes to the US govt.  Fair enough.  But it doesn't look as though we'll be eligible, since we didn't make at least $3000??  MOST people who made less than $3000 wouldn't be paying ANY taxes.  Why are we taxpayers but not eligible? 

I feel rather miffed.  DH made about $1000 self-employed in January 2007 (paycheck from Dec. work - we moved here January 9th), and because of that, we owe taxes on that.  Obviously our UK income is excluded, so we don't pay on that.  So, we're paying taxes to the US govt.  Fair enough.  But it doesn't look as though we'll be eligible, since we didn't make at least $3000??  MOST people who made less than $3000 wouldn't be paying ANY taxes.  Why are we taxpayers but not eligible? 

I didn't say we aren't eligible, just that I don't know.

I didn't say we aren't eligible, just that I don't know.

Sorry Prof, that wasn't aimed at you.    Just my frustration at the conclusion I drew as well from reading the IRS page. 

That quote from the Q&A might not tell the whole story.  Here's another passage from a bit earlier on that page:

Taxpayers who had a net income tax liability will receive a payment, unless they can be claimed as dependents on someone else’s return, are high-income individuals or do not have a valid Social Security Number. The payment is equal to the taxpayer’s net income tax liability, but no more than $600 for a single person or $1,200 for a married couple filing a joint return. The minimum payment is $300 for a single person or $600 for a married couple filing jointly.

Now, perhaps that means that if you have eliminated all of your tax liability via 2555 or 1116, then no "stimulus payment".  But if those methods don't eliminate all of your tax liability, then perhaps...

I hope it's clear that I'm guessing.  If anyone knows for sure... ??

Boo AND hiss.  Just got a message back saying my online tax submission was accepted, and that the list of reasons I won't be eligible for the tax rebate includes 1) a foreign address, and 2) an income of less than $3,000 (moved here in Jan 2007, and the foreign earned income is excluded).  Not sure if the foreign address alone was enough to disqualify me....    And I owe them $152 apparently. 

I had to pay $307 in taxes this year and it's looking like I'm going to get $300 back. 

I can understand not qualifying for the rebate if you haven't earned at least $3000 in the US, but I haven't seen anything on the IRS website indicating that you are not eligible for the rebate check simply because you have a foreign address.  Seems a bit unfair. 

At any rate, here's the Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator: http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/