CHENANGO COUNTY – Taxpayers throughout the country are eagerly awaiting checks from the Internal Revenue Service, which are scheduled to be automatically mailed out as part of an economic stimulus package. While the IRS has said taxpayers in most cases will not have to do anything extra to receive their checks, the Chenango County Area Agency on the Aging and the Earned Income Tax Credit Partnership Committee are advising senior citizens and individuals with disabilities to file tax forms, even if they are not required to do so.

According to Brian Wessels of the Chenango County Area Agency on the Aging, there are approximately 20 million people in the United States who don’t usually file a tax return who are eligible for the stimulus package funds. While Wessels was unable to estimate how many of those individuals reside in Chenango County, he said the number could be significant.

The stimulus package was passed by the federal government in order to help the slowing economy. The IRS will be sending rebate checks to over 130 million households beginning in May. Payments will range from $300 to $600.