The IRS wants to help.

No, really.

Honest.

I don't know how many of the people they're trying to reach read blogs - but you read blogs, and might know some of these people. So, here 'tis. Me trying to help the IRS. Hope this will help next time I get audited.

Nah.

From an email:

We want to make sure active duty personnel, veterans and their families know about the stimulus payments that will begin in May.

We know that most people will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their stimulus payment.

But, the IRS is concerned that retired members and the families of survivors, who don’t have a requirement to file a tax return, know the only way they can get a stimulus payment is to file a return. Even those who have little or no tax liability may qualify for a minimum payment of $300 ($600 if filing a joint return) if their tax return reflects $3,000 or more in qualifying income.

We also want to make sure they know special rules apply to help them qualify. For the purpose of the stimulus payments, qualifying income includes veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits received from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007.

Emphasis mine. More detail is available here. I'm guessing (hoping!) that not too many if any active duty types would *not* have to file, but, given the strong generational pattern of service, their parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents and cousins who once served might be in this situation.

Update: I sent the IRS a note, asking if they had considered going to the blogs as a way to get this information out to a targeted audience. The response was instructive: "As my signature block indicates, I work with the media and I am not the best source of information for individuals who have questions."

Clearly, we have a way to go with the IRS public affairs people. No matter. We stormed the walls of DoD and have breached them. I don't know if we'll put out quite that level of effort with the IRS, but heck, it's worth a rock or two from Murray's trebuchet to see if we can get 'em to think of *all* the media. Especially in a digital age, where the blogs are the nimblest, albeit not most efficient, method of content distribution. Dude. It's just an email...

Update: The did get back, and quickly. Good on 'em!