Some payments have been sent to those who are deceased, money provided to you based on dependents that are not dependents any longer or any host of other reasons. You know you shouldn’t have received the money, but it showed up anyway. The IRS has finally come out with the official procedure of what you should do in case this happens. It is better to follow the procedures listed below than deal with the government coming for the money later during the internal audit of the program.
If the payment was a paper check:
- Write “Void” in the endorsement section on the back of the check.
- Mail the voided Treasury check immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below.
- Don’t staple, bend, or paper clip the check.
- Include a note stating the reason for returning the check.
If the payment was a paper check and you have cashed it, or if the payment was a direct deposit:
- Submit a personal check, money order, etc., immediately to the appropriate IRS location listed below.
- Write on the check/money order made payable to “U.S. Treasury” and write 2020EIP, and the taxpayer identification number (social security number, or individual taxpayer identification number) of the recipient of the check.
- Include a brief explanation of the reason for returning the EIP.
For your paper check, here are the IRS mailing addresses to use based on the state:
| If you live in… | then mail to this address |
|---|---|
| Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont | Andover Internal Revenue Service 310 Lowell St. Andover, MA 01810 |
| Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia | Atlanta Internal Revenue Service 4800 Buford Hwy Chamblee, GA 30341 |
| Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas | Austin Internal Revenue Service 3651 S Interregional Hwy 35 Austin, TX 78741 |
| New York | Brookhaven Internal Revenue Service 5000 Corporate Ct. Holtsville, NY 11742 |
| Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming | Fresno Internal Revenue Service 5045 E Butler Avenue Fresno, CA 93888 |
| Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia | Kansas City Internal Revenue Service 333 W Pershing Rd. Kansas City, MO 64108 |
| Alabama, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee | Memphis Internal Revenue Service 5333 Getwell Rd. Memphis, TN 38118 |
| District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island | Philadelphia Internal Revenue Service 2970 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
| A foreign country, U.S. possession or territory*, or use an APO or FPO address, or file Form 2555 or 4563, or are a dual-status alien. | Austin Internal Revenue Service 3651 S Interregional Hwy 35 Austin, TX 78741 |
