Turbotax states that I am eligible for a Recovery Rebate Credit. I think I am not eligible. How can I not-claim it, when the program claims it?

[mjvdwoerd]

My SSN is not valid for employment. I understand that I will need to get my SSN reissued to fix this, but to accomplish that, I have to surrender all my documents to the US mail, which I refuse to do. I'd rather not get the money. How to proceed?

[ThomasM125]

You could answer that you received all of the stimulus payments that you were entitled to. That would normally be $1,200 for the first one and $600 for the second one. That may allow your return to be processed without you receiving a stimulus payment. 

More than likely, the IRS knows that your social security number is not valid for a stimulus payment, so they won't process it for you anyways. 

[mjvdwoerd]

Yes, thank you for your answer.

I have a bit of a problem answering a question with an answer that is not the truth. But your solution would work. It is my understanding that there are many thousands of people who have this problem.

Rumor goes that when the IRS website opens for electronic returns on 2/12, there might be a form there that one could use to "inform the IRS about change in citizenship status" and I hope this may fix the problem. I do not know what form this is, or for whom it is intended but I read on an IRS page that such a form may be posted.

Ultimately the problem is that the IRS decided that "the right kind of SSN" is the answer to the legal condition to be eligible to work in this country. Understandable, but problematic. The SSA does not determine if you are eligible. The DHS does. But there was no easy and quick way to ask them for information.

It is obvious what happened. To fix it, is not so simple. And to submit a tax return that says at the bottom that I certify that the information provided is true and correct, when it in fact is not, is not good. To claim the money probably means that the tax return will be rejected. So you essentially get stuck: darned if you do and darned if you don't.

[hbl3973]

mjvdwoerd,

You can relax.  All the solution given does is tell TurboTax not to put anything on the tax return line for the form 1040 recovery credit.  So the form is entirely truthful.  Indeed, anyone who didn't receive any stimulus money could decline to take that credit by leaving the form 1040 entry blank.  After all, about one in five people eligible for the Earned Income Credit do not claim it on their return.