Economic Stimulus Checks question

[dreamer]

Last time there was something similar, we did not get anything, becu we are both on soc sec disability and last time soc sec recipients did not get them.
SO this time, I figured me and husband would both get some, and we have a 13 yr old, so I figured we would get some on him. difficult child is 19 but her soc sec was enough that we filed income tax in her name, and she got a check, per the mailing schedule for her soc sec number. (she is considered disabled before age 18)
Our easy child turned 18 in spring this year. But she was 17 last year, LOL (of course) so I was not sure if me and husband would get money for her. Or, since she did work, and did file income tax and did make $3,000 and was 18 this year, we were not sure if maybe she might get a check in her own name, based on her own income?
difficult children check came several weeks ago, and if easy child was gonna get a check based on her own soc sec number, she should have gotten a check before difficult child- based on last 2 digits of soc sec numbers? easy child did NOT get one then. DHs soc sec made us just get ours today, and yes it also includes for one child, - our 13 yr old son? BUT nothing for easy child.
I have read the things published about who gets a check many times, but, I never have been able to grasp what it would be for someone like my easy child......is she considered a child? or an adult? do 17 yr olds get one? do 18 yr olds? she earned the money at her job - enough to have gotten one.....
Did her age cause her to slip thru the cracks and not get one? Kinda weird, she is the only one in the house able to work.and she does. And she was a student and graduated in June. (my other kids are not students at a public school) Oh, I know student status has nothing to do with it, but I am just thinking it just seems odd to me, she works, she goes to school etc and she is the one who did not get a check. And becuz she was in school still, of course we did still provide for her....it never occured to me she would not get any check at all, I just was not sure if it would be included in mine and DHs or her own.

 

[dreamer]

Oh, did I clarify easy child also filed income tax and also wrote "economic stimulus" on hers, altho- I am not sure how it works, H&R Block did ours, difficult children and PCs.....and she (easy child) appeared as a dependant on our (mine and husband) income tax
difficult child filed income tax, and wrote "economic stimulus" on hers, and she claimed herself becuz she gets her soc sec - with me as her rep payee.

 

[KTMom91]

I think it's based on the number of dependents specified, so if easy child was a dependent on your return, she'll be included in your check. Since difficult child claimed her own exemption, she should get her own check.

 

[dreamer]

Well, easy child and son both were listed as dependants on our income tax, BUT we only got stimulus check for son, NOT easy child. Our check came today. It was for only one child. Yes, difficult child did get her own check already, several weeks ago. But nothing for easy child at all. Not her own (with her own tax return filed and her own qualifying income from her job) and not on ours, as our dependant.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

We did not get for all of our kids either. They say what the max is you can get but they don't have to send that much. It just depends on how they decide to do it. And I don't know what magic wand they use to create the exact amount.

Beth

 

[witzend]

A 17 year old would apply to your check, as I read it.

 

[dreamer]

oh, bummer. I thought the max was gonna be $1200, but we did not get $1200....well, um, difficult child is over 18, and in her own name....so I did not think that would count on mine and DHs......

<shrug> good thing I was not counting on it hard, LOL. I understand- it is simply a bonus.....but oh boy we sure could have spent it in blink of an eye. LOL

 

[Sara PA]

If someone can be taken as a dependent, s/he won't get an economic stimulus check. Only dependents who qualify the parents for child credits -- those who don't turn 17 in the tax year -- will qualify the parents for the $300.

So, parents will get the extra $300 only for those children who did not turn 17 in 2007.

 

[witzend]

Good clarification, Sara. These things can be so vague if you don't exactly fit into that one particular cubby that everyone else does...

 

[everywoman]

Because she was claimed as a dependent on your tax return, she can not receive the check herself. And because she is over 17, she will not be counted in your check.

 

[Andy]

If government really wants to stimulate the economy:

1. Keep gas prices down to $2.50 per gallon or less. Gas companies can still have a good profit. Boy, if we didn't have to put our paychecks into filling up the vehicle, we may just be able to buy something.

2. Stop outsourcing jobs and encourage all companies to keep jobs local. (Listen up cable company - I want to deal with someone local to set up appointments, ect.)

3. Make large companies and the most wealthy pay taxes based on our tax schedule - GET RID OF LOOP HOLES - then our taxes can go down - again giving us money to actually spend.

4. Send economic stimulus checks to EVERYONE!

 

[dreamer]

nah, everywoman, she did not get one, and the date for her getting her own is long past.....and nope, she was not included in ours, either......I think it is related to what Sara said....she was 17 last year.....

I think we did get child credits for her on income tax.yup- we did.....for her and our son...2 children....

someone else had told me previously that they also did not get $$ for their 17 yr old either, and it was becuz the kid was 17. SOmething about the age 17. My easy child was 17 for all of last year (well, 16 for the first half of last year.....)
I wonder if PCs boyfriend will get a check? he turned 18 on Jan 1 this year, he earned enough..but he has not yet gotten a check either, and we made sure he also filed his income tax......

 

[Sara PA]

1. Short of socializing the oil companies, the government can't control the price of gas. If the government tries to control prices below that which the oil companies can make a [satisfactory] profit, they'll just stop selling [as much]. Then we have an artificial shortage. If the government tries to impose a windfall profit tax, the oil companies can just raise prices. They have us over the [oil] barrel.

2. The good news is that outsoursing jobs is begin to wain. The bad news is that's happening because 1. oil prices are so high that importing the items is become less cost effective and 2. the dollar is so weak that it's becoming cheaper to have the work done at home.

 

[Sara PA]

dreamer -- you shouldn't have gotten a child credit for a dependent who was 17 on 12/31/07.

And if boyfriend's parents took him as a dependent, he is not elligible for a stimulus check.

 

[dreamer]

I stand corrected....nope we did not get child tax credit for easy child, only for son...but, we claimed all 3 kids as dependants... even difficult child.becuz while she is 19, she was disabled before age 18 and her own soc sec does not cover everything, and food stamp office told us even tho she is over 18, and while she does qualify for foodstamps, they are not giving them t o her, becuz we need to feed her? I am SO confused.but, no, we did NOT get child tax credit for easy child after all. But we did claim her. Does that make sense? Thats what our income tax says..and hers says on it that we claimed her as an exemption, but she filed herself on her income?

Anyway, now I know not to keep an eye out for a check for her..LOL

 

[Sara PA]

You can claim anyone as a dependent if they live with you and you provide more than 50&#37; of their support.

There are certain relatives you can claim as dependents even if they don't live with you and you provide over 50% of their support.

 

[dreamer]

darn it all, I shoulda paid far more attention when we (I) was supporting mother in law...and father in law....and dhs "sister" and her 2 sons......and my nephew........aw well....

and yes, we had been saying, and PCs boyfriend agreed, while his freshly divorced parents were arguing over claim to claim him on their taxes and who was to pay who child support, it was actually US who should have claimed him and us who should have recieved the child support.
Oh well. I will stop looking for check for easy child.and I will tell PCs boyfriend he prolly is not getting one, either. Thanks.