No tax return? No rebate check

The Internal Revenue Service said it would conduct a sweeping program to publicize the requirement to file a return, but some experts said many people eligible for rebates would fall through the cracks.

"It's a pretty difficult thing to convince somebody who normally doesn't have to file that they need to file to get a rebate check," said Mark Luscombe, a tax analyst at publisher CCH Inc. "I would predict it's going to be a disaster."

Even among those who do get the word, he said, many "will not figure out how to get their returns filed, will not file and, therefore, will not get their rebate checks."

Government officials acknowledged the challenge.

"We are doing an aggressive outreach and education campaign with Veterans Affairs, Social Security and AARP," acting IRS Commissioner Linda E. Stiff said Wednesday. "We are trying to leave no stone unturned to make sure that people understand that they qualify."

Most taxpayers don't need to do anything special to get their rebates, Stiff said, "but there are some exceptions."

Those exceptions are:

* Seniors whose primary income comes from untaxed sources such as Social Security

* Low-income workers who earn too little to pay tax

* Veterans receiving disability and pension income, and spouses of deceased veterans who get survivors' benefits

* Retired railroad workers

The seniors, veterans and railroad workers weren't included in the original version of the stimulus bill endorsed by the White House and passed by the House, but they were added when the Senate acted on the measure.

The IRS plans to start sending out checks in May to those who have filed their 2007 tax returns by the April 15 deadline, but the process is likely to take several months. If you file for an extension, you won't get your rebate until after you submit your return.

President Bush signed the stimulus bill Wednesday in the East Room of the White House, joined by Democratic as well as Republican congressional leaders. The gathering reflected the bipartisan enthusiasm for the measure, which is intended to prevent or minimize a recession in the wake of the housing downturn and credit crunch.