I have seen so many people asking this question on social media. If you received a stimulus check and the person that it was address to is deceased, can you cash it?  Most of the answers wer "yeah, go ahead and cash the thing". It's like an inheritance.  STOP!  NO!

Economic Stimulus Package Tax Rebate Checks Printed
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Apparently this isn't like "found money" this is something that you do have to send back.  It is only good for the person that it has been made out to.  And since those checks were based on tax returns, the person that the check was intended may have passed since their taxes were processed.

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What are you supposed to do?

The IRS has some instructions for you.  Even if your check was direct deposited... there are instructions for that too (you have to send a personal check back).  What if you were married, and you received the double amount for married couples?  Well, if one of you isn't around anymore, you do need to return their portion, and there are instructions for that situation as well.

If you think "how will they know"?  Well, I don't know what your experience has been with the IRS, but my experience has been that there is NO WAY to hide from the IRS and school loans.  Same deal. They will find you. Maybe not right away, but they will find you and they will get the money back... with penalties.  It's better to just do what you're told to do now...without penalties.

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