Bryan says Puerto Rico direct deposits caused some Virgin Islands residents to receive duplicate stimulus payments

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said on August 8, 2020, that some Virgin Islands residents received duplicate CARES Act stimulus payments after Puerto Rico’s Treasury Department, known as Hacienda, mistakenly sent direct deposits to recipients in the territory.

According to the statement, the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue mailed 6,473 checks totaling $7.3 million on July 24, 2020, to Social Security recipients in the territory, with payments of $1,200 for each adult.

Bryan said the Internal Revenue Service also sent Puerto Rico a list of eligible recipients in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He said some recipients with Virgin Islands addresses were not removed from Puerto Rico’s list and were sent direct deposits beginning in the week of August 3, 2020. He said the number of affected recipients had not been determined.

The Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue agreed to serve as the conduit for returning the overpayments to the U.S. Treasury Department. The statement said electronically recalling the funds could affect all recipients paid by Hacienda and could expose Virgin Islands recipients to overdraft fees or other bank charges.

Bryan said the Virgin Islands government would not charge interest or penalties for residents returning overpaid funds to the bureau. He also cautioned residents not to share Social Security numbers with anyone outside the Bureau of Internal Revenue after some people who received duplicate payments were approached by individuals offering to help return the money.

Residents who received duplicate payments were instructed to bring or mail a check or money order payable to the V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue for the full amount of the overpayment to local bureau offices on St. Thomas or St. Croix, or to mail payments to 6115 Estate Smith Bay, Suite 225, St. Thomas, VI 00802.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-clarifies-double-stimulus-checks-resulting-from-puerto-rico-issuing-direct-deposits/