# How much overhead cost in sending stimulus checks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241 "2008-04-28T17:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/1 "2008-04-28T17:30:13Z")
How much in overhead will it cost to send the economic stimulus checks? Not the actual money value of the checks, but things like ink and paper to print the checks, salaries of the people doing the work, stuff like that. Has that been publicly reported? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/2 "2008-04-28T18:28:35Z")
Well, my “stimulus check” will be directly deposited to my checking account, so there’s a cost savings there… I presume the same people who process my tax return will process my stimulus check. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/3 "2008-04-28T19:52:57Z")
IIRC, the glossy paper notice the IRS sent to all taxpayers about a month or two ago informing them of the [del]rebate[/del] advance on their 2008 tax return refund cost those same taxpayers around $40 million. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/4 "2008-04-28T20:48:06Z")
It’s not an advance this time…it’s a “free” check. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/5 "2008-04-28T21:04:34Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] IIRC, the glossy paper notice the IRS sent to all taxpayers about a month or two ago informing them of the [del]rebate[/del] advance on their 2008 tax return refund cost those same taxpayers around $40 million. [/QUOTE] This is not an advance on your 2008 tax return refund. You will not have to pay this rebate check amount back then. This appears to be a common misconception, I don’t know if there were advances in previous US tax years (I have not been here long myself) but this year it is not an advance at all. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/6 "2008-04-28T21:11:40Z")
[QUOTE=Driver8] This is not an advance on your 2008 tax return refund. You will not have to pay this rebate check amount back then. This appears to be a common misconception, I don’t know if there were advances in previous US tax years (I have not been here long myself) but this year it is not an advance at all. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > It’s an economic stimulus payment that more than 130 million households will receive starting in May. It’s not taxable, and it won’t reduce your 2007 or 2008 refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2008 return. Source: [http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179211,00.html](http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179211,00.html) I sit corrected. But we still will pay for it, plus interest, in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/7 "2008-04-28T22:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] Source: [http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179211,00.html](http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179211,00.html) I sit corrected. But we still will pay for it, plus interest, in the end. [/QUOTE] Agreed. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as “free”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/8 "2008-04-29T04:27:42Z")
No, it is certainly NOT free. Except for us fortunate(!) individuals who happen to be broke. BWAHAHAHA!!! Eat The Rich!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/9 "2008-04-29T06:51:29Z")
[QUOTE=The Them] No, it is certainly NOT free. Except for us fortunate(!) individuals who happen to be broke. BWAHAHAHA!!! Eat The Rich!! 😃 [/QUOTE] I thought broke people don’t get a check. ---
**Author:** ![Seydell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Seydell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seydell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-overhead-cost-in-sending-stimulus-checks/447241/10 "2008-04-29T07:18:57Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] I thought broke people don’t get a check. [/QUOTE] You need to have made at least $3,000. So not broke, but within spitting distance…