Many Receive Stimulus Payments
Non-Filers With Dependents Should Act Now
While many U.S. citizens started receiving $1,200 Economic Impact Payments last week, social security, railroad retirement and veterans benefit recipients who are not required to file tax returns and have dependents under the age of 17 should act quickly to qualify for the additional $500 payment.
Social Security beneficiaries and eligible veterans will automatically receive $1,200 payments, but those with dependents must take additional steps to claim the extra $500 per dependent.
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox urges Social Security beneficiaries who have dependents and who do not file tax returns to act quickly to receive an Economic Impact Payment of $500 per child.
Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income recipients who don’t file tax returns will start receiving their automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department soon.
People receiving benefits who did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes, and have qualifying children under age 17, should not wait for their automatic $1,200 individual payment. They should immediately go to the IRS’s webpage and visit the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here section to provide their information.
Social Security retirement, survivors and disability insurance beneficiaries with dependent children and who did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes needed to act by noon on Wednesday, April 22, in order to receive additional payments for their eligible children quickly.
“By taking this proactive step to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment,” Fox said. “If beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, their payment at this time will be $1,200. People would then be required to file a tax year 2020 tax return to obtain the additional $500 per eligible child.”
However, Senator Jon Tester sent a bipartisan letter and released the following statement Monday, April 20, asking for more time.
“This is far too short of a time frame to notify thousands of folks who do not typically file a tax return with the IRS — including a larger number of veterans — that they are required to file additional information to obtain financial relief if they have a dependent,” said Tester. “Forcing social security and other federal benefit recipients to file at the 11th hour places an unnecessary burden on families during this trying time. I strongly urge the Treasury to provide flexibility for these eligible individuals, giving Americans the economic security they need.”
Economic Impact Payments, which are a new refundable credit on the 2020 taxes, will be made throughout the rest of 2020. Those who don’t receive a payment this year can also claim it by filing a tax return for 2020 next year.
Dependents who are 17 and older will not receive a payment in 2020 if claimed as a dependent on a someone else’s 2019 tax return. The dependent will not receive a $1,200 credit in 2021 if claimed as a dependent on someone’s 2020 tax return. However, if a child can’t be claimed as a dependent by a parent or anyone else for 2020, they may be eligible to claim a $1,200 credit on the 2020 tax return when it is filed next year.
More information is available on the websites of the IRS and the Social Security Administration.
Montanans with questions may also call the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection at 800-481-6896 or 406-444-4500 or email contactocp@mt.gov.
