Customers demand stimulus checks from tax service owner

Customers of a Jackson tax service said they can’t get the stimulus checks the government promised them.The owner of American Tax Service said the checks are in the mail. “All we’re asking for is our money,” said tax service customer Kimberly Floyd. “I don’t want any problems. I’m even embarrassed to be on the news, but at the end of the day, it’s not fair.”Clients showed 16 WAPT News confirmation they received from the IRS website that their checks had been deposited into their accounts. Many used the company to file their income taxes and pick up refunds. They said it would be just as easy to get their stimulus checks from the office in Jackson.“If you can print out your check and an advance check, just print our stimulus check,” said customer Debbie Reed.“We are a tax office. The stimulus check is a check from the U.S. Treasury Department, not a tax check,” said American Tax Service owner Jeff Cox. Cox uses Republic Bank to transfer federal funds that he disperses to his clients. Cox said the bank plans to mail out stimulus checks to minimize person-to-person contact, which could spread COVID-19.“I absolutely understand your frustration, but at a time like this, you all need patience,” Cox told the crowd.Republic Bank released the following statement:“While we anticipate most payments will be sent directly from the IRS to taxpayers, please be aware, if Republic Bank does receive a current year taxpayer’s payment for some reason, the funds will be sent via mailed check to the taxpayer’s current mailing address on file at no cost to the taxpayer.Taxpayers will be able to identify if they are a part of this small percentage of taxpayers whose funds will be routed to Republic Bank because the bank account on the IRS’ “Get My Payment” tool will show an account ending with the last 3 digits of the taxpayer’s SSN plus a zero.To update a taxpayer mailing address, please visit republictaxpayer.com and submit a Taxpayer Maintenance Form.”