Dear Moneyist,
I have a long-term, live-in partnership. I got sick and haven’t had a job since 2016. My partner has supported me 100% financially. He has claimed me as a dependent in recent years, including 2018.
We read that I could receive one of the $ 1,200 COVID-19 relief checks that were first sent in April when I filed a $ 0 income tax return for 2019. I submitted a paper declaration with my bank account details and of course my postal address.
I am still waiting.
What is my best chance of getting some benefit from these emergency payments, be it a previous stimulus check or a future one? If I could afford a new computer, I feel good enough to work from home now. Do you think I’ve taken the right approach to request a stimulus check, even though I’m not working now?
LuAnn
Also see: Trump goes golfing as an incentive, defense spending continues to fail
Dear LuAnn,
The Economic Impact Fee is essentially a prepayment of a tax credit on your 2020 tax return. However, if you have not filed a tax return by October 15, you will likely have to wait until 2021 for your stimulus check or checks.
The IRS uses the 2019 tax returns to measure people’s income; Tax returns 2018 are used as a Plan B, so if you filed a 2019 tax return, you will get your incentive check on whether you qualify based on that year’s tax return. With that in mind, you should receive a $ 600 incentive check now that President Trump has signed the $ 900 billion pandemic relief package into law, preventing a government-wide shutdown.
If your husband charged you for 2018 and you file a 2019 tax form with no income, you might receive the first $ 1,200 stimulus check (again, in 2021), but your husband’s return for 2019 would be adjusted accordingly. The Internal Revenue Service says telephone assistance is “extremely limited” right now, but you can find more information here.
The Moneyist:My friend’s ex-wife claimed her 2 sons were dependent on her taxes, and received their incentive checks, but they live with us
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President Trump has enacted the $ 900 billion pandemic relief package, averting a government-wide shutdown.
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Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, low-income Americans had access to free personal tax preparation assistance from Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Advice for the Elderly, both of which are funded by the federal government. However, many of the offices for those programs have been closed or are operating with limited capabilities due to the pandemic.
To date, the IRS has distributed checks to more than 160 million Americans as part of the $ 2 trillion CARES Act stimulus package. Payments are $ 1,200 for individuals earning up to $ 75,000. Married couples who made less than $ 150,000 received $ 2,400. The program was structured as a tax refund, so the IRS needs people to file a tax return.
Unlike the majority of Americans who have automatically received their incentive checks, an estimated 9 million Americans who have yet to receive their incentive checks typically earn less than $ 12,000 per year and typically don’t file a federal income tax return. Millions of other Americans are in your position, and I salute you for overcoming your health challenges of working from home next year. Some economists believe that 15% of all jobs will have remote work opportunities.
The Moneyist: I made $ 100,000 in 2019, but much less in 2020. Why didn’t I get a stimulus check? How is that fair?
You can email The Moneyist with all financial and ethical questions related to the coronavirus at [email protected]
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