IRS Spending $42 Million to Say "Your Check is Coming Soon"

[Matt Molnar]

AP, via MSNBC:

Dear Taxpayer: This letter cost you $42 million (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23525100/)
IRS spending money to inform households rebate checks will soon arrive

updated 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - At a cost of nearly $42 million, the IRS wants you to know: Your check is almost in the mail.

The Internal Revenue Service is spending the money on letters to alert taxpayers to expect rebate checks as part of the economic stimulus plan.

The notices are going out this month to an estimated 130 million households who filed returns for the 2006 tax year, at a cost $41.8 million, IRS spokesman John Lipold confirmed.

[cancidas]

yay. :borat:

[Midnight Mike]

Good move as it will cut down on the confusion & the questions that people have, also, the letter will provide a little positive pep for the economy as right now the Media is talking down the economy.

Over the past 6 months, have been reading that:

We are almost in a recession.
Recession is right around the corner.
Companies are bracing for a recession.
55% of people feel that we are in a recession.

HELLO, we are not in a recession, we are in an economic slow down, of course, that is not to say that a recession may or may not happen, but, my goodness, stop talking about it.....

[moose135]

Good move as it will cut down on the confusion & the questions that people have, also, the letter will provide a little positive pep for the economy as right now the Media is talking down the economy.

I would prefer that they spent the $42 million on something that might actually be useful...

[Midnight Mike]

I would prefer that they spent the $42 million on something that might actually be useful...

They are, if they are sending out letters, it probably means that the IRS phonebanks are being swamped with phone calls.

Besides, $42 million is a drop in the bucket with a $150 billion stimulus package....

Now, if they want to do something constructive, let's go with the Steve Forbes flat tax plan, now that is something that I can support :borat:

[nwafan20]

To bring this into perspective,

$41,800,000 for 131,000,000 households.

I thought it was a ton too, until I looked at it mathematically.
That is only $0.32 per letter. For printing costs, paper, etc that is very reasonable.