About 31,000 Mainers who are eligible to receive up to $600 apiece from the federal government’s economic stimulus plan risk losing that tax-rebate windfall if they don’t file a tax return. That includes 1,074 individuals in Bangor, 227 in Brewer and 3,368 in all of Penobscot County.

The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday announced that only about 74 percent of eligible American retirees and disabled veterans have filed to receive a stimulus check, leaving about 5.2 million potential recipients out of the rebate plan.

Most Americans will receive a check automatically because they have filed a federal income tax return for 2007.

“However, many retirees and veterans do not normally file a tax return because their benefits are not taxable,” Peggy Riley, a spokeswoman for the New England regional IRS office, said in a prepared statement Thursday. “This year, they must file in order to receive an economic stimulus payment.”

In Maine, about 77 percent of eligible retirees and disabled veterans, about 132,000 people, have filled out the tax return that triggers the stimulus check.

The deadline for filing a tax return is Oct. 15. For individuals who have no tax liability or no tax-filing requirement, there is a minimum payment of $300 ($600 for married couples) plus $300 for each qualifying child. To be eligible for the minimum payment, individuals must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income, including any combination of earned income, nontaxable combat pay, and certain benefit payments from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement.

Riley stressed that receiving the check should not have any effect on other federal benefits and that filing a return this year does not mean that people will have to start filing annually.

Later this summer, the IRS will send an explanatory letter and a tax form to eligible individuals who have not filed.

For more information or assistance in filing a tax return, Mainers should contact their local IRS tax preparation assistance office. In Bangor, the number to call is 942-8573. Call 211 for referral to other offices in Maine, or call the IRS tax rebate hot line toll-free at 866-234-2942. More information is also available online at www.irs.gov.

mhaskell@bangordailynews.net

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