IRS says letter from White House outlining stimulus payments not a scam

CHICAGO -- The ABC7 I-Team has heard from several people who received a letter from the White House regarding their stimulus payment.

The letter outlines how much money was issued for your stimulus payment and then tells you to visit a website for more information. But is this legitimate or a scam?

The letter even has President Joe Biden's signature on it and one viewer thought it might be a part of some sort of scheme, but the IRS confirms that it is legitimate correspondence.

The IRS said the letter that people are receiving in the mail is "Notice 1444-C."

The IRS issued a statement saying, "After each of the three Economic Impact Payments is issued, the IRS is required to mail a notice to each recipient's last known address. The notice provides information about the amount of the payment, how it was made and how to report any payment that wasn't received. Some people may receive multiple notices about each payment. Most people will simply file the notice with their tax records and won't need to contact the IRS or take any further action.

"Here are some details about each notice and what action some people may need to take.

"Notice 1444, Your Economic Impact Payment. The IRS mailed this notice within 15 days after the first payment was issued in 2020. Some people received another Notice 1444 if the IRS corrected or issued more than one payment in the first round. Taxpayers who received a Notice 1444 but did not receive their first payment should review the frequently asked questions for instructions on what to do if their first payment is lost, stolen, destroyed or has not been received. People should keep this letter with tax year 2020 records.

"Notice 1444-A, You May Need to Act to Claim Your Payment. The IRS mailed this letter last year to people who typically aren't required to file federal income tax returns but may have been eligible for the first Economic Impact Payment. People who didn't get a first and second Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts, may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return even if they don't usually file a tax return.

"Notice 1444-B, Your Second Economic Impact Payment. The law that authorized the second payment gave the IRS more time to mail Notice 1444-B after the second payments were issued. This means people likely received their second payment several weeks before Notice 1444-B arrived. Taxpayers who received Notice 1444-B but didn't receive the second payment should read the FAQs about what to do if their second payment is lost, stolen, destroyed or has not been received. People should keep this letter with tax year 2020 records.

"Notice 1444-C, Your 2021 Economic Impact Payment. The IRS is mailing this letter to people who received a third Economic Impact Payment. People should keep this letter with tax year 2021 records.

"People should keep any IRS notices they receive about Economic Impact Payments with other tax records. The IRS cannot issue replacement copies of these notices. Taxpayers who don't have their notices can view the amounts of their Economic Impact Payments through their online account."