Dear Answer Man: Yesterday when I brought in the mail, there was a nondescript letter that looked a little like junk mail. The name on the return address was “Submittable Holdings Incorporated,” which only added to the junk mail vibe. I almost threw it out. Fortunately, my wife noticed it was addressed to both of us, so she opened the letter. Lo and behold, it was our $520 tax rebate check. Can you let people know that these checks are coming in an envelope that looks like junk mail? — John on the Spot.
Dear John,
Thank goodness for the wisdom of our wives, right? Mrs. Answer Man has saved my bacon on more than one occasion. (Love you, Honey!)
So, in case you didn’t know, the Legislature in May
passed a one-time tax rebate
of up to $1,300 per family. Those checks and direct-deposit rebates started going out the week of Aug. 16, 2023. According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the amount of money you’ll receive is based on the following factors:
- $520 for married couples filing a joint 2021 income or property tax return with adjusted gross income of $150,000 or less.
- $260 for all other individuals with 2021 adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less.
- Another $260 for each dependent, up to three dependents.
Direct deposit payments started going out first followed by paper checks through the U.S. mail. The Department of Revenue expects the nearly 2.1 million rebate payments to be initiated by the end of September.
So, who gets their money by which method? Well, the direct deposits went out to anyone who used direct deposit for their tax fund for their 2021 income taxes or anyone who updated their direct deposit information this summer. Paper checks are being sent to any other eligible Minnesotans or anyone for whom the direct deposit option was refused by the bank due to an error.
As far as those envelopes go, the Department of Revenue says the checks will arrive in a “plain white envelope.” Those checks, the state says, should be arriving within two to three weeks from that Aug. 16 date, so that means any day now.
Ryan Brown with the Department of Revenue said underneath where it says “Submittable Holdings Incorporated,” it should also say “Care of the State of Minnesota.”
“We partnered with Submittable and US Bank to issue these tax rebate payments,” Brown said.
Through Tuesday, Aug. 29 the state had issued 1.1 million direct deposit attempts and 405,000 paper checks. The state sends about 65,000 a day, which is about how many they print and mail per day.
Contributed / Minnesota Department of Revenue
Brown added that property tax refunds are also going out at this time, so people might see both going into their accounts. The tax rebate program checks will say “State of Minnesota 2021 Tax Rebate Program” on their bank statement.
All that is to say, thanks John for the tip on what people should be looking for. I do hope, especially in these tough financial times, that folks get their money as soon as possible. Up to $1,300 would be very handy for people.
If you are worried that, perhaps, you threw away a check, don’t rush it. The Department of Revenue says wait because checks could take as long as October to arrive. If we get to October and you’re sure you are eligible but have not received a check, you can call the Department of Revenue and talk to a customer assistance representative at 651-565-6595 or you can email your concerns to mntaxrebate@submittable.com.
Want your queries refunded with an answer? Send questions to Answer Man at
answerman@postbulletin.com
.
