NPR

IRS Says Its Own Error Sent $1,200 Stimulus Checks To Non-Americans Overseas

The IRS now says its own error caused thousands of non-Americans living overseas to mistakenly receive $1,200 stimulus checks — and the mistake could happen again if more stimulus money goes out.
An error at the IRS caused thousands of non-Americans living overseas to mistakenly receive $1,200 stimulus checks last spring.

The IRS now acknowledges that its own error caused some citizens of other countries to mistakenly receive $1,200 coronavirus relief payments — and that the mistake is likely to happen again if more stimulus money goes out.

When reports of the mistake first surfaced, the U.S government placed the blame on those non-Americans, saying that many noncitizens erroneously received stimulus checks because they had filed incorrect tax returns that made them appear to be American.

But many non-Americans who received stimulus money do not file U.S. tax returns. One of them is Susanne Wigforss, a 78-year-old Swedish citizen who lives in Stockholm.

Wigforss was

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