The Internal Revenue Service has put out some helpful tips for those who are still waiting to receive their economic stimulus checks. There are tons of reasons why you might not have gotten yours yet, and it's a safe bet that no one really knows how long it will take for you to get it.

But the IRS was kind enough to point out a few of the most common reasons why taxpayers haven't received their checks. See if you fall under one of these:

• You filed your tax return more than once because you thought that would help. (No, it just makes things worse and delays your payment even more while the IRS figures out why you filed twice.)

In case you haven't ever watched the news, listened to a radio, or picked up a newspaper in the last several months, you should know that the Internal Revenue Service is sending out lots of checks to lots of people. But in order to get one of these checks via the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, you have to file a tax return, even if you have no tax liability and otherwise wouldn't need to file.

More letters are going out, as the IRS estimates that 5.2 million people are still eligible to receive a check but haven't filed a tax return in order to qualify. All along, I've figured that if people didn't know by now that they need to file, they just shouldn't get a check. Someone disagrees with me, and the government will spend a bunch of money to tell people for about the 80th time that they need to file to get a check.

About 112 million taxpayers have received checks totaling $91.8 billion so far. The IRS thinks the 5.2 million people who haven't received checks are retirees and veterans, and wants to give them one last chance to file. Anyone who may be eligible for a check has until October 15 to file a personal tax return. After that date, they forfeit their right to receive a check.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

I'm all for the government cracking down on collecting child support payments, and taking the money directly out of IRS payment seems like a winning plan. But the $2 billion that the government has collected so far isn't all from deadbeat dads. I, for instance, am part of the 39% of those who had money withheld for an unpaid federal debt. And I still don't know why.

I apparently owed the federal government $89.49 and they took it from my rebate check. I got a letter in the mail from the Department of the Treasury that told me, "As authorized by Federal law, we applied all or part of your Federal payment to a debt you owe." Then it gave an address and phone number for a Birmingham, Ala. processing center.

I called, of course, and all they could tell me is that the Transportation Security Administration had taken my money. They said they could give me their main number. They might as well have offered to give me the number for the White House to ask President Bush what was up with my payment. I didn't figure you could just call a mammoth government agency and get any kind of response.

I am so sick of hearing about the economic stimulus checks, also dubbed tax rebate checks. Our government has been doing its level best to spend many billions of dollars on this endeavor. In addition to the $150 billion or more that is projected to be sent out, the IRS spent millions to send out letters to everyone and create advertisements about the program. They wanted to make sure that no one missed out on their check.

Does it come as any surprise that some people still haven't filed a 2007 tax return, and therefore haven't gotten a check? That's the biggest catch. You have to file (even if you have no income) in order to cash in.

The IRS is so worried about all these people who didn't file their returns even though the IRS thinks they would be eligible for a check. And they want to spend more taxpayer money sending another letter to those people. Honestly, who in this country hasn't heard about the checks and how you get one? They literally must never watch television, listen to the radio, open a newspaper, or have any contact with civilization.

Those who don't know yet that they could get a check deserve to not get one. Stay informed, or miss out, I say. If they didn't get the hint from that first letter they got, why waste more money to send out a second letter?

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

My rebate check plans were simple: buy a new computer to replace my old one that was dying a slow, painful (for me) death. I spent weeks pouring over ads, reviews and tedious discussions of which feature was important to me. Sure, I'd heard Vista had some problems. Yes, I have a TV and have seen the John Hodgman commercials for Mac. But I didn't think it would be THAT bad. XP was no dreamboat, either.

Wrong. Within hours we saw the blue screen of death. I say we because my husband David gallantly volunteered to spare me the grueling hardship that everyone knows is migrating to a new computer. But soon I was seeing the blue screen of death every morning. Vista seemed to be allergic to both my newish printer and Macromedia Dreamweaver, an expensive web-editing program. Replacing them would cost $600. The whole new computer was $800. Did I want to blow half my rebate check just to accommodate Vista?

First I tried to negotiate with Vista. I compromised. I removed the printer and Dreamweaver. Vista was appeased. I figured I'd run the limping XP computer as my ambassador to the XP world of my printer and Dreamweaver. What seemed like a simple task, took days and much grief. Meanwhile, Vista grew angry and started flashing me the blue screen of death for reasons not clear to me. I removed a few more programs, but had to return it.

Last week, fellow WalletPop blogger Julie Tilsner clued everyone in to this little known delay in receiving your economic stimulus money: "If filing or preparation fees were deducted from your 2007 refund, or you received a rapid refund, you will be receiving a check instead of a direct deposit."

Now word is out that a second group of taxpayers will be disappointed: those with spouses who do not have Social Security numbers will not receive any rebate money. The economic stimulus package was set up with this provision to prevent illegal immigrants from getting rebates. And I can't say I disagree much with this detail. While illegal immigrants probably would have put the money into the U.S. economy, it just wouldn't make any sense to give this money to someone who's not in the country legally.

But what about those foreigners who are here legally, and just don't have Social Security numbers? Unfortunately, they aren't eligible for this little perk received by those who do. Even the spouses of those without Social Security numbers won't receive a rebate check if they've filed their taxes jointly.

There are probably about 1 million legal residents of the U.S. who have green cards, but are waiting for paperwork for their spouses. It's hard to know how many others will be affected by this detail. Lawmakers have to continuously balance interests of many people when making their decision. This detail was an unintended consequence, and I think it's a small price to pay in order to make sure those in the country illegally don't benefit.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

According to Pastor Steve Munsey on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in the clip below, God apparently created "...seed in their hand with their income tax." And apparently we should give that income tax money straight to Pastor Munsey. He says you can "start giving your way out of trouble." Give Pastor Munsey money, get out of trouble. Sounds good to me! Where do I send the check?

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

You're waiting patiently for your money from the now-famous federal economic stimulus package. You're happy, because you'll get your payment a little sooner because you used direct deposit. You're waiting. And waiting.

Oops. You had your 2007 tax refund direct deposited into your retirement account, not a bank account. Now what? You guessed it... Your money for the economic stimulus is also going to be deposited into your retirement account too. This, of course, can create troubles for those who aren't eligible to contribute money to that account or those who didn't want their money to go into the retirement account.

The good news is that you can get your money out of that retirement account with no tax problems. The bad news is that it may take you a little time and effort to do so. This is one of the unfortunate consequences of distributing money in this way.

I, of course, wish these payments wouldn't be going out at all. The government should just reduce taxes for the rich who pay a disproportionate share of the tax bill as it is. This silly redistribution of money through a process that sends a bunch of checks to people who don't pay any income tax to begin with is completely unfair... especially when those who pay most of the taxes to start with aren't "eligible" to receive this money because they "make too much money." Oh well. Have fun spending!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

A recent study of the investing activity of millionaires has found that 27% plan to invest more in individual stocks this year. Only half as many will invest more in real estate, and only a very small percentage say they'll decrease their stock investments.

This is seen as good news for the American economy! Our economy grows when people invest in companies and technologies, which creates new opportunities, new jobs, and new wealth. It can have a snowball effect, much the same way as decreased investment can have a negative snowballing effect on our economy.

You're thinking to yourself, "Who cares! I'm not a millionaire." We might not be millionaires, but there are certainly some lessons we can learn from them, and one is about the value of saving and investing.

Oh sure, it's much easier to save or invest when you have several hundred thousand dollars lying around waiting to be used. But if millionaires were interested in only spending all the money they're making, they may not be millionaires for long.

Even those with the smallest amount of money management smarts know that there is a way to be responsible with their "tax rebate" check, and a way to be irresponsible. Our government is hoping you're irresponsible with yours. The whole point of the checks is for everyone to run out and spend it on things they might not otherwise buy, giving a little boost to our economy.

But as prices are rising (and there is no shortage of people complaining about it) and people more are in debt than ever before, the most responsible thing to do with a tax rebate check for most consumers is to save it or use it to strategically pay off some debt. That's what Terri Cullen of the Wall Street Journal is hoping her family does with their checks.

But she knows they probably won't. Why not? Because she says they (and many other consumers) look at these checks as "found money." It's an unexpected windfall that's not likely to happen again, so they feel as if they have somewhat of an obligation to run out and spend this free money.

I'm generally opposed to this whole idea of sending checks to people courtesy of the IRS. I don't care if you call them "tax rebates" or "economic stimulus." It's a crazy redistribution of money that isn't fair to those who really pay all the taxes.

Half of all American households pay no income tax, but most of those are going to get the checks anyway. How can it really be a rebate if you haven't paid anything in the first place? It can't, but that's not stopping anyone. And many of the households who do pay a large proportion of the income tax won't get one of these checks because they "make too much money" to qualify for one. I know there's nothing I can do about it, but I at least feel better if I publicly complain.

So for those who are lucky enough to be getting a check, you should know that they're going out early! Checks will be mailed starting Monday, a full five days before their planned mailing. And if you had your tax refund direct deposited this time around, you'll get your economic stimulus money even faster because it will be direct deposited to your account.

The government is hoping that you spend your $600 or $1500 or whatever your family is receiving. I'm hoping (not so secretly) that you do something responsible with it like pay down some debt, establish a savings account for emergencies, or otherwise buy something that your family really needs (not just something that they really want).

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

While there are lots of opinions pro and against the Economic Stimulus Package checks (hitting your bank account beginning May 2!), the fact is: they're coming no matter what you think. We all have heard the prevailing skepticism as to whether $300 - $3,000 a family will do anything to help the failing dollar or to create jobs; in the end, who knows? But we have some ideas about how we could spend together to create the change we want to happen. And we'd be remiss as a personal finance site if we didn't come up with some ways you can truly stimulate your own personal economy.

Let's start with a couple of Don'ts. Don't use your rebate check for conspicuous consumption -- TVs, DVD players, large bottles of Champagne, imported Kobe beef, a trip to Cancun. Don't use it to create a greater need for fossil fuels; not as a down payment for a new car (if your very survival depends on a car, at least get a used one), or to trade up to a bigger gas guzzler, or for a power mower, or to put a new hot tub in. Do this and you'll help stimulate us into the worst possible direction.

Here's a better idea. Do try to spend it locally on something that will benefit your financial future! I've been reading a lot of smart people's musings about this (and coming up with some of my own), and have identified some areas of absolute crisis in our economy. Our country's farmland is being stripped by the wrong-headed over-production of corn and soy (in complete ignorance of sustainable farming practices). Our limited fossil fuel resources are being frittered away unnecessarily so we can continue to cling to our isolated, wasteful car culture. Our healthcare expenditures are reaching a panic point, while we are eating ever-more-expensive, ever-more-damaging food. Life as we know it is not sustainable, and no one seems to have the willpower to reverse the societal tide.

Doing something radical with your Economic Stimulus Package check can be both fun and good for your own financial bottom line. You'll end up with more money left after your pay your bills, you'll be healthier, and you may just spur a tiny bit of social change. At the very least, it can't hurt you. Here are some ideas:

For years, my wife and I have treated our tax refund as a savings account, using it to fund travel or house projects. (Yes, I know how dumb I am to allow the IRS to rake off more than my fare share of income and hold it for months, but for undisciplined savers like me, 0% interest on some money is better than 5% interest on no money.)
Most Americans, have treated their rebate similarly. This year, however, the trend seems to be shifting away from splurging with tax refunds. More and more of us are using the money to pay down debt. According to the AP, 35 % of us are using of refunds this way, up 7% over last year. If you have a moment, why not add your intentions to the AOL poll?

This is, of course, of concern to the government in light of the upcoming one-time rebate coming next month. If we use this money to pay down debt or to build savings, it may not boost the economy as much as if we take it to Target or spend it on a Princess cruise.

Nonetheless, I can't in good conscience suggest our readers ignore credit card debt just to stimulate the economy. Paying down that 20+% interest is going to help your economy, and isn't the the central tenet of capitalism that acting in our own self-interest also benefits the larger community?

Still, I might allocate a small portion to a nice dinner and a movie. Just to do my part as a good citizen.

Rest easy, this isn't one of those stupid April Fool's Day posts that many bloggers seem fond of today. It's an issue brought up by TaxGirl. I'm not the only one who thinks the government is wasting a lot of our tax money on this "economic stimulus" plan.

I have theoretical objections to sending out $300 and $600 checks to people, even if they don't pay a dime in federal income taxes. But what irks me even more is the amount of money that the IRS is spending on "getting the word out" about the checks. At this point, if you're too stupid to know that you have to file a tax return in order to get a check, you don't deserve one. Every media outlet has been beating this topic to death, telling everyone that even if you don't owe taxes, you must file a tax return to get a check. (There's really not anything confusing about that, is there?)

Yet the IRS spent $42 million of our hard earned money on sending out letters that say you might get a check. They spent our money on a stupid YouTube video to tell you that you might get a check. When all is said and done, the IRS will have spent $200 million just to publicize the program and process our checks.

What does $200 million get you? Seventy-four Super Bowl commercials, according to TaxGirl. That's a ton of money to spend on such a program. Some of us might suggest it just makes more sense to quit taxing us so much in the first place. But this feeble attempt at income redistribution (giving checks to those who don't deserve them because they haven't paid income taxes in the first place) is merely a feel-good tactic during an election year. I predict it will have little real impact on our economy.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

The IRS has made their official announcement of the dates for distribution of the economic stimulus payments, and has also made a calculator available to help you see how much you'll get. If you got your 2007 tax refund direct deposited, you'll also get your tax rebate via direct deposit. Everyone else will get a check.

Don't forget: You have to file a 2007 tax return in order to meet one of the eligibility requirements to get a check. You must file that tax return even if you don't owe any taxes. If you owe back taxes, child support, student loans, or any other debt that results in your income tax refunds being kept by the government, you will not get your tax rebate. Any amount you would have received will go toward those debts.

The payments will be distributed based upon the last two digits of your Social Security number, with the schedule posted on the IRS website. Those getting direct deposits will get their money before everyone else, so if you haven't filed your 2007 taxes yet, this is an additional incentive to do direct deposit of your refund. If you file an extension and therefore file your taxes after April 15, your stimulus payment will be sent later too.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.