Japanese who received Biden checks should return them, says IRS

Banks in confusion after a flood of inquiries from receivers

The U.S. has sent $1,400 checks to citizens and residents as part of its COVID relief package. © AP

MASAHIRO OKOSHI and SHIORI GOSO, Nikkei staff writers

May 19, 2021 21:35 JST

Updated on May 20, 2021 00:47 JST

WASHINGTON/TOKYO -- U.S. President Joe Biden's COVID relief checks sent to ineligible Japanese by mistake are causing much confusion, with banks in Japan flooded with inquiries and the Internal Revenue Service asking for the return of the payments.

As the Treasury rushed to get the checks out in the mail under Biden's coronavirus economic response, many ineligible foreigners around the world appear to have received the checks, including Japanese pensioners who lived in the U.S. before 2005.