STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Americans with outstanding debt who will be receiving a stimulus relief check from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could have the check garnished.

Stimulus checks, as part of the CARES Act, started being deposited into bank accounts at the end of last week and will continue to go out through April and later months until all eligible Americans have either received a direct deposit payment or a physical check.

According to a report, Congress did not exempt those stimulus payments – up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples – from private debt collection.

Tax payers who owe money to banks in the form of delinquent loans and past-due fees could have the wages removed to cover money owed, according to the report.

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The American Prospect reported that debts to federal or state agencies are exempt and checks will not be garnished, unless it’s for child support. However, because the payments are defined as a tax credit under the CARES Act and not federal benefits they are subjected to garnishment.

Debt collectors who are under a court arrangement could ask banks to turn over the money for outstanding medical bills, student loans, car payments, and other debts.

Several members of congress and 25 attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, asked for the Treasury Department to make these payments exempt from garnishment.

Individual financial institutions have the individual ability to not take the payments.

JPMorgan Chase told the Prospect that it would return these payments to the government instead of using the funds to offset a negative balance.

“The U.S. Treasury can then determine the address to mail the full stimulus amount to ensure the former customer gets the full benefits,” a spokeswoman told the Prospect.

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