PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Pasco County woman said she found herself having to choose between food or medicine after both her tax refund and stimulus check didn’t show up as expected.
Linda Bishop told Taking Action Reporter Jackie Callaway she struggled to make ends meet even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishop told ABC Action News she lived week-to-week on disability payments and money from a part-time job.
“Normally, after I pay my bills, I live on $68 a month,” said Bishop.
Bishop showed ABC Action News the tax return she filed through TurboTax, showing she was expected to receive a $1,085 refund.
Bishop said TurboTax told her it would put the refund money on a debit card in February, but that didn't happen.
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After Linda was laid off in March, she said she needed her stimulus money to survive.
According to the IRS guidelines, stimulus money is supposed to be deposited into the same account used to receive a tax refund.
Bishop was scheduled to receive her stimulus payment in mid-April, according to the IRS, but the account where Bishop expected her refund deposit remained at zero balance.
That’s when she reached out to Taking Action Reporter Jackie Callaway, who emailed Intuit – the parent company of TurboTax— and a spokesperson responded, saying the company would look into Bishop’s case.
Bishop said TurboTax mailed her a new debit card, which allowed her to access both her tax refund and stimulus money – more than $2,000 – which Bishop said will finally allow her to catch up on her bills.
