Fed check not in mail, deadbeat

Fed check not in mail, deadbeat

Fed check not in mail, deadbeat

BY DAVE GOLDINER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, September 10th 2008, 12:29 AM

More than 42,000 New York deadbeat parents never got a chance to spend their tax stimulus checks on TVs or iPods - the cash went to pay outstanding child support.

The deadbeats missed out on more than $22 million in payments, which were withheld and sent to ex-partners for unpaid obligations to their kids.

The Treasury Department says 1.4 million people nationwide had all or part of their stimulus check diverted for child support.

In all, the feds diverted $830 million from deadbeat dads and moms, less than 1% of the total stimulus program.

The stimulus program provided $600 checks for most individuals and $1,200 for couples filing jointly, with a $300-per-child credit added on.

States submit the names and Social Security numbers of deadbeat parents to the IRS, which cross-checks those names against the lists of taxpayers receiving stimulus checks.

The IRS then sends the deadbeat parents' checks straight to state child support agencies.

The diverted ones are just a fraction of the more than 112 million stimulus checks issued as of the start of July.

So far, the IRS has dispensed checks totaling $92billion.

Besides child support, the IRS withheld stimulus checks from those who owe money to the federal government or have unpaid state tax obligations.

dgoldiner@nydailynews.com