The Treasury is implementing a new requirement to receive the $ 600 stimulus measure approved by Congress

Individuals who received the $ 1,200 incentive under the 2018 tax return must meet their 2019 tax liability – if they have not – to be eligible for the $ 600 tax credit approved by the Congress of the States. United, the assistant secretary of Internal Revenue, Roxanna Santiago, warned.

“All those who have received the $ 1,200 based on a 2018 tax return and have not yet filed their 2019 return, we recommend that they file that 2019 return … and based on that 2019 return, they are new law payment of the $ 600 for all those who are taxpayersThe official said in a virtual orientation held today by the treasury.

Due to changes in operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has extended the deadline for submitting the form to January 15. “Based on that 2019 tax return, this new law establishes the payment of $ 600 for all those who are taxpayers, so based on the information the Department already has, we will”, Detailed Santiago.

The agency submitted its distribution plan on Monday, which is pending approval by the Treasury Department. “The program, as we established in the draft distribution plan, is designed to make life easier for all those eligible people who received their $ 1,200 bounty,” said Treasury Secretary Francisco Parés.

Parés estimated that 2.8 million residents of the island would benefit from the stimulus, whether as individuals, partners or dependents. “Once Governor Pedro Pierluisi was sworn in on January 2, there should be no gap in its implementation as both teams have done an excellent job in this transition process,” said the head.

This afternoon, Parés, along with part of his work team, offered an update on the incentive distribution program through the agency’s virtual platforms, in which he was also joined by Washington resident commissioner Jenniffer González. “This second stipend would be worked out independently of the first, but it will make it much easier for the Treasury once it has the approval of the Federal Treasury and the IRS,” González said.

While the program maintains the admission requirements practically unchanged, it has also eliminated the requirement established by the Cares Act that required that, in the case of married couples filing jointly, both must have a valid Social Security number, which in the past prevented it a spouse not to qualify. “I would say it is the most profound change,” admitted Santiago, adding that the law allows the use of the database already established by the agency to disseminate the previous incentive.

The dependents who can receive the incentive are still those under the age of 17, according to the information corresponding to the 2019 tax year.

During the virtual discussion, one of the main concerns was whether the people who have some sort of debt to the Administration for the Support of Minors (Assume), as happened with the initial stimulus, would not receive the $ 600. “We have accepted the federal government’s recommendation or instruction that these obligations must be met before that payment is made to individuals,” said Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez, undersecretary in the Treasury Department.

Regarding the $ 1,200 incentive, which was mainly provided between the months of May and July, Parés indicated that 17,000 individuals are still awaiting payment, either due to an error in the bank account number provided to the agency or because the check was returned by the postal service.

“People who have asked to receive their payment by check and have not received it should send a message through SURI, a mechanism through which the department communicates with individuals,” said Parés.