IRS spending rebate cash for some filers

April 1, 2008

Wow! Talk about Big Brother. American Public Media’s Marketplace radio program reported today that the IRS is making sure rebate money gets pumped into the economy.

Afraid that some taxpayers will take the checks and — gasp! — save the money or use it to pay down debts, the IRS has instituted a special "product in lieu of rebate check" program. So instead of receiving the check that so many of us are anticipating, the IRS is sending a select few filers retail goods
in relative value to what their check would have been.

Window_air_conditioner_2
The story talks to a Phoenix couple who got an air conditioner, as well as to the IRS employee — whose title is Debt-To-Purchase Ratio Assessor — who decides who gets what instead of a check.

You can read the story here. There’s also a link on that page where you can listen to the piece.

And, just in case you got this far and are freaking out about whether you’ll get a toaster oven instead of cold, hard cash, take a deep breath. Then look at the calendar.

Sorry, but as I was half-listening to Marketplace this afternoon, this story actually sucked me in for a moment. So I had to share it with y’all before April Fools’ Day ended.

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