WASHINGTON – With 159
million Economic Impact Payments processed, the Internal Revenue Service
reminds many low-income Americans who don’t usually file tax returns to register for a payment by Oct. 15.
Millions of low-income people
and others who aren’t required to file a tax return may be eligible for an
Economic Impact Payment and can easily register for a payment by using the free
Non-Filers tool, available only on IRS.gov.
“IRS employees worked around
the clock to deliver the Economic Impact Payments and new tools to help
taxpayers in record time,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Even with these
unprecedented steps, there remain people eligible for these payments who need
to take action. Registering to receive the payments is easy, and millions of
non-filers have already taken this step. We urge everyone to share this
information widely to help more people receive these payments.”
In the past two months, more
than 159 million Americans have received Economic Impact Payments totaling
almost $267 billion. Of the payments, 120 million were sent to Americans by
direct deposit, 35 million by check and 4 million payments were made in the
form of a pre-paid debit card. This includes payments sent to those who usually
do not have to file a tax return but receive retirement, survivor or disability
benefits under various programs administered by the Social Security
Administration as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Railroad
Retirement Board who qualify. These individuals can use Get My Payment to check on their payment status.
Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov helps millions; special feature remains available
through Oct. 15
To help people who aren’t
normally required to file a tax return, the IRS created the Non-Filers tool, available in English and Spanish, in
partnership with the Free File Alliance. The Non-Filers tool is designed for
people with incomes typically below $24,400 for married couples, and $12,200
for singles. This includes couples and individuals who are homeless. People can
qualify, even if they do not have earned income or work. Usually, married
couples qualify to receive a $2,400 payment while others normally qualify to
get $1,200. People with qualifying children under 17 can get up to an
additional $500 for each child. Anyone who already filed either a 2018 or 2019
return does not qualify to use this tool.
The Non-Filers tool will remain
available through the summer and fall, though many eligible people without a
filing obligation have already received an Economic Impact Payment. The IRS
urges every other eligible non-filer to register soon to quickly receive their
payment. Anyone who registers by Oct. 15 will receive their payment by the end
of the year.
To help reach these non-filers,
over the next few months the IRS will be conducting an extensive outreach and
education effort to partner groups who serve homeless individuals, underserved
communities, limited English households and others. As part of this effort, the
agency has created an Economic Impact Payment partner page, and materials are available in multiple
languages.
The IRS cautions that some
people who need to file a tax return have been mistakenly using the Non-Filers
tool to try to get an Economic Impact Payment.
For more Information on the Economic Impact Payment, including answers to frequently-asked questions and other resources, visit IRS.gov/coronavirus.
(Source: IRS Issue Number: IR-2020-111)