In 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided a wide range of critical coronavirus relief.
If you didn’t get all of it, you may be able to claim the rest in the near future. And on February 22, 2022, the IRS revealed some fresh information that could assist you in your endeavor.
Why is it that some Americans have yet to get their stimulus checks?
Despite the fact that the American Rescue Plan Act made assistance available to a wide range of Americans, those with low incomes benefited disproportionately.
As well as providing adults and dependents with stimulus checks of up to $1,400 and allowing many higher-earners to take advantage of an enhanced Child Tax Credit, Congress also increased the Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor.
A large portion of last year’s available funds has already been deposited into bank accounts. Anyone who hasn’t received what they’re entitled to can file a tax return for the remaining in 2021.
There is one problem, however, and that is that some of those who need the money the most may have missed out on it because their incomes are too low to file returns under normal circumstances or because they aren’t fully aware of their rights and obligations when it comes to tax returns and refunds.
Because the IRS couldn’t figure out how much you owe or where to submit your data, if you don’t regularly earn enough to file a tax return and didn’t previously use online IRS tools to provide your information to the agency, you may have received little or no of your stimulus cash.
You’ll need to file a tax return this year in order to fix the situation. And the IRS has now released some new tools to assist you in doing so.
Check out these new IRS resources to assist you in claiming stimulus money that have not yet been claimed.
Publication 4134, popularly known as the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic List, contains several resources that could assist low-income taxpayers in claiming their unpaid stimulus money.
For those who need assistance with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and those who don’t speak English well, this is a comprehensive list of locations across the United States that offer free taxpayer services.
Tax assistance is available in your area if your income does not exceed 250 percent of the federal poverty threshold, and you are in need of assistance with stimulus checks or any other tax-related issues. The assistance you receive may be free or restricted in cost, depending on your ability to pay.
To assist low-income individuals in finding a tax preparation facility, the IRS has a number of existing options. VITA and TCE are examples of the IRS’s volunteer tax assistance and tax consultation programs for the elderly, respectively.
If your income is $58,000 or less, you may be able to make use of these programs; if you have weak English skills, or if you are disabled.
If you didn’t receive your full stimulus money in 2021 and need help completing a return to claim one or resolving issues that have kept you from receiving the money you deserve, you should carefully consider using these tools.