CALIFORNIA (OCN) — Have you gotten your Stimulus Check as yet? Well, if you haven’t, there is a good chance that you will get it TWICE. (See the end of this article for I.R.S. links)

That’s right. Due to a computer error, residents in the State of California will receive not ONE but TWO Stimulus Checks.

Those who receive two checks will have 45 days from the date stamped on the envelope to return the duplicate check to the I.R.S. If the last two digits of your Social Security number are in range, your check should be in the mail by:

00 – 09 May 16, 2008
10 – 18 May 23, 2008
19 – 25 May 30, 2008
26 – 38 June 6, 2008
39 – 51 June 13, 2008
52 – 63 June 20, 2008
64 – 75 June 27, 2008
76 – 87 July 4, 2008
88 – 99 July 11, 2008

Anyone who fails to return the duplicate check within the 45 days grace period could have funds in their bank accounts put on hold by the I.R.S.

So what do you do with it? Write “void” in the endorsement section on the back of the check, and attach a note to the I.R.S. saying that you are returning an “erroneous stimulus payment check.” Sure it will cost you a stamp (don’t forget to add tracking) and an envelope but you’ll have piece of mind. If you have a free day off, you could even try drop it oof by one of their locations so you can get proof in your hands right there as it could get lost in the mail back to them.

Direct Deposit Payments:

If the last two digits of your Social Security number are in range, your economic stimulus payment deposit should be sent to your bank account by:
00 – 20 May 2, 2008
21 – 75 May 9, 2008
76 – 99 May 16, 2008

The problem is they are reports that electonic checks are being deposited into wrong accounts which could cause you to get funds late or if you are fortunate, a third time or more.

So what will you do if (Georgia is allowed to take all or part of your check towards back taxes) you get your funds from your stimulus check? Surveys done on Yahoo Answer shows that most people will use the funds to repair their home or catch up on their mortage payments. Others will:

* Take a vacation
* Pay off credit cards
* Catch up on back rent
* Repair or buy a new car
* Help pay off school tuition

Business (ie. Sears, Kmart) are crossing their fingers and are hoping that people will spend it in their stores and are giving tons of incentives for you to do so.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., April 15 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Sears Holdings Corporation today announced its plans to make stimulus checks go farther for its customers. In a move to help Americans stretch their dollars, the retailers will offer a 10 percent bonus to every customer who converts their government stimulus checks into gift cards at Sears or Kmart. 

A small percentage of tax returns will require additional time to process and to compute a stimulus payment amount. For these returns, stimulus payments may not be issued in accordance with the schedule above, even if the tax return was processed by April 15.

While you are awaiting your funds, you should be aware of of phishing scams. One example of this IRS spam email message is as follows:

“Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Bush program to jumpstart the economy.

Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.

The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.

Please follow the link and fill out the form and submit before May 10th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as possible.

Submitting your form on May 10th, 2008 or later means that your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.

To access Economic Stimulus refund, please click here.”

If you can’t wait to get your hands on your funds and need to know or confirm the status of your check, see the I.R.S. “Where’s My Stimulus Payment?”

The I.R.S. web site can be use for the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.