Some parents will get a $500 stimulus check this fall, IRS says. Here’s what to know
Some parents who missed out on the additional $500 payment for their dependent children under the CARES Act will have more time to register, the Internal Revenue Service said.
Parents receiving federal benefits, such as Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, will be able to use the agency’s Non-Filers tool until Sept. 30 to get their money this fall, the IRS said.
Under the CARES Act, signed into law in March, Americans who made up to $75,000 per year got a $1,200 stimulus check. The income cap was set at $99,000 and stimulus payments were scaled down from there. Joint filers who earned less than $150,000 received $2,400. Parents could also receive $500 per child under 17.
Parents on federal benefits who didn’t file a tax return were supposed to get automatic payments, but many of the stimulus checks didn’t include the $500 payment, Forbes reported.
Those using the tool after May 5 are expected to get their payments by mid-October, the IRS said. If you’ve also used the tool since May 5, no further action is necessary.
Other people who aren’t required to file tax returns and still haven’t gotten their checks can also use the Non-Filers’ tool but need to do so by Oct. 15 in order to get a payment this year.
The IRS originally issued an alert on April 20 that people getting federal benefits had 48 hours to register for $500 checks or would have to wait until next year to get the payment.
Some parents have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, saying that American children were denied payments because their parents are undocumented immigrants and don’t have a Social Security number.
“The result is that qualifying U.S. citizen children who have only undocumented parents cannot receive the $500 economic impact payments intended for their benefit, ” the judge wrote in an order allowing the suit to move forward.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Some parents will get a $500 stimulus check this fall, IRS says. Here’s what to know."