Some taxpayers have been confused by Schedule M, the tax form that's required for people who received the Making Work Pay credit in their pay checks, Eileen Ambrose wrote Sunday.
That credit amounted to about $10 more on the paychecks of employees last year as part of the Obama stimulus package. But the IRS requires those who have income from a job to formally claim the credit through our tax filing this year, Eileen writes.
To further confuse matters ...
... some retirees who receive Social Security or other government benefits received a one-time $250 Economic Recovery payment as part of the Making Work Pay credit. But if they're not working, they don't have to fill out a Schedule M, according to her article.
Others who receive Social Security while still working would qualify for both the $250 and $400, so they should fill it out. So should government retirees who don't receive Social Security.
Mistakes can make it take longer to get your refund, however. Incorrectly stating on your forms that you have *not* received your payment can hold up processing of your return or cause it to be rejected.
If you're an older worker and not sure whether you received the money, call the IRS at 866-234-2942. Here's a link to the IRS's Schedule M instructions and an IRS article about the Making Work Pay credit as well.
UPDATED: Need more help? The Baltimore IRS office, 31 Hopkins Plaza, will hold open houses from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through April 12. You can also send us questions for a last-minute tax live chat on April 9.
UPDATED AGAIN: Wondering what to do if you've already filed your return without Schedule M?