MACON, Ga. — You may have seen a post floating around on social media saying:
"If you are homeless, you can go to a tax return office where they will file something called EIP return. They will put the money on a debit card after."
We set out to verify.
Our sources are were Chauncey Wilmore, owner of Save Me Money Tax Services, Acqueena Harpe, owner of Macon Taxes Easy, and IRS.gov.
The IRS says on its website that you may qualify for an "EIP" if you are experiencing homelessness.
They say people who don't normally file a tax return may be eligible for an EIP if they are a US citizen, have a working Social Security number, or cannot be claimed as a dependent.
EIP stands for Economic Impact Payment or, in other words, a stimulus check.
"Those who haven't received any stimulus funds so far, can still apply for all three payments. All they have to do is come by and file a 2020 tax return, and claim a recovery rebate credit," Harpe said.
Both Wilmore and Harpe say that the payments can be issued on a prepaid debit card for those without a bank account, as a check, or the money can go into your direct deposit.
"This qualifies for everyone, though. As long as they just come, in know their Social, and their full name, we'll be able to go ahead and fill that out for them," Wilmore said.
He also says that if you do not have a current address to provide on the tax return, you may use your last known address, even if it is a church or a homeless shelter.
"There's a lot of people that need help during this pandemic and we all need access to the money. A lot of homeless people, a lot of hungry people. It's up to us to inform our people," Harpe said.
So we verify, yes, people who are homeless can get a stimulus check.
Wilmore and Harpe say people also eligible for an Economic Impact Payment are those who have not filed their tax returns in years, people who are homeless, anyone out of a job, and dependents 17 and older.