Economic Stimulus Payment Notice

I took the foreign income exclusion and I am supposed to get $300. They are gonna pay by DD and Turbo Tax even took my bank routing number and all.
All my income in 2007 was from the UK.

Hmm, that's interesting.  I used TurboTax and I, too, used the foreign income exclusion.  TurboTax said I was not eligible for any refund.  I wonder what the difference is?
I guess I'll find out in time whether I get anything.

I was told the same thing by Turbotax (that I was not eligible for a 2007 tax refund, all of my earned income was earned in the UK, and in fact I had to pay the IRS for the past few years, so the IRS has my bank account details on file via EFTPS).

However, the tax year refund and economic stimulus payments are notionally separate. 

I received my economic stimulus payment several weeks ago (transferred directly into my bank account) with a follow up letter (yes, by post) explaining the payment to me, etc.

I got a check today for $300 (wasn't expecting to get one!). How do I deal with a check drawn on US$? Could I, for example, sign it over to my sister in the US, mail it to her, she deposits it in her bank account and then paypals me the money? Even if I were able to cash/deposit it here I imagine I'd lose money in exchange/bank fees.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Lee

If you don't mind my asking, those of you getting the ESP and using the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, was your income over the threshold of FEIE ($85,700)?  Mine was way under and I can't figure out why I keep coming up ineligible, unless you must have $3000 of tax liability over and above the exclusion.  That would make sense.   

My income was way under the limit and had no tax liability.

I got a check today for $300 (wasn't expecting to get one!). How do I deal with a check drawn on US$? Could I, for example, sign it over to my sister in the US, mail it to her, she deposits it in her bank account and then paypals me the money? Even if I were able to cash/deposit it here I imagine I'd lose money in exchange/bank fees.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Lee

Do you not have a US bank account that your sis could deposit the check to?
I think its going to be an issue depositing to your sis's account if the check is payable to you.

Generally speaking, if you let a UK bank deal with it, you would not have much left from your rebate after they take all the fees and consider the rubbish exchange rate but you could ask your UK bank...

They encouraged all people to apply this year because of the refund. 

Even people who usually don't, because they earn under the usual 5,000 or whatever income exclusion, were told to apply because they would get at least 300.  Since we all seem to be getting 300 back I would guess we fall under that category?

Jennyl, I don't have a US bank account any longer. I'm sure I'd lose a lot of the money if I tried to do it through my UK bank which is why I'm trying to find another solution.
Thanks

Jennyl, I don't have a US bank account any longer. I'm sure I'd lose a lot of the money if I tried to do it through my UK bank which is why I'm trying to find another solution.
Thanks

 

Hey i didnt get a check either!!  and i feel like i have earned it by reporting my Uk income to the US for the past 6 years...bummer....

Isn't it like most checks in the states where all you have to do is endorse it on the back and write payable to "jane smith"??  then jane smith endorses it and can cash/deposit it?

Whisper - I think that's what I was thinking of! Thanks! I'm hoping that will work. I'm going to trot down to my bank today and see how much money I'd lose by depositing it here, and if it's too much then I'll try your suggestion.

I know this still works on a American checks because I still write checks for my nieces and nephews in the states for their birthday and they don't have bank accounts. My sister gets the money for them.

So I went to the bank today and was able to deposit the check without losing too much money. For my $300 I got £143. I had looked up today's exchange rate beforehand which indicated £153, so not too bad. Certainly not worth the hassle of sending it to the US.

After many hours on hold, I was told that yes, it was changed to extend it to overseas people (by the legal people), then the accounts people said this was news to them, and they would look into it for me and contact me with an answer (in the next 30 days).  Sigh....

We've received our stimulus payment! Woohoo!

We both worked in the UK all of last year, used the foreign income exclusion (we were well below the limit), and had no tax liability.

My parents still get my mail and today, a stimulus check came!  My dad deposits money for me because I keep a US bank account.

I claim my income and my son as my dependent (from a previous marriage). My husband, I never claim him because he's never lived or worked in the US.  So I got $600 - $300 for me and $300 for my son. 

Going to be awesome for my vacation there next year!

~BEG