Death and the Stimulus Payment
By: AARP Tax-Aide | Source: AARP Tax-Aide | Date Posted: June 23, 2008
Q. If an individual dies, what happens to his or her direct deposit or stimulus check?
A: Anyone who filed a return for 2007 is eligible for a stimulus payment, even if that person died in 2007 or in 2008 before receiving the payment. Just as a surviving spouse can claim an exemption for the deceased spouse in the year of death, a decedent's final return as a single taxpayer gets to claim the personal exemption for the decedent. The payments will be issued in the name of the individual eligible for payment on the filed return or to the account designated on that return.
These questions are actual inquiries submitted by taxpayers to our AARP Tax-Aide Program. The AARP Tax-Aide Program is a volunteer-run, free tax-preparation and assistance program offered to low- and middle-income taxpayers with special attention to that age 60 and older. Our volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to understand individual federal-tax issues. Our volunteers provide tax assistance as a public service and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.
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