Some low-income Americans may need to report EIP-qualifying information to the IRS.
With the dependent-reporting deadline for non-filers who are automatically receiving their Economic Impact Payment passed, the Internal Revenue Service reminded low-income Americans who don’t normally file a tax return that they are probably eligible for a CARES Act-authorized payment.
While non-filers who receive certain government benefits will automatically receive an EIP, many low-income Americans who have not filed a tax return in the past two years will need to provide the IRS with EIP-qualifying information. To expedite the process, the IRS suggested they use the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool on IRS.gov.
“The Non-Filers tool is for married couples with incomes below $24,400 or single people with income below $12,200,” the agency explained in the release. “This includes couples and individuals who are homeless. Usually, married couples qualify to receive $2,400 while single people qualify to get $1,200. People with dependents under 17 can get up to an additional $500 for each child.”
Before using Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here, the IRS says that users need to have some “basic information” handy. The “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” page on IRS.gov has a more complete list:
- Full name, current mailing address and an email address
- Date of birth and valid Social Security number
- Bank account number, type and routing number, if you have one
- Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) you received from the IRS earlier this year, if you have one
- Driver’s license or state-issued ID, if you have one
- For each qualifying child during 2019: name, Social Security number, or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number and their relationship to you or your spouse
However, the IRS closed their press release by detailing who should not use the Non-Filers tool.
Don’t use Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here if you filed a tax year 2018 or 2019 return!
The IRS stressed that taxpayers who recently filed a return should not use Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here. Since the AGI listed on a tax return is generally how the agency determines eligibility for EIP, there is no need for filers to report that information again.
The IRS also noted that those who need to file a tax return to qualify for certain tax credits should not use the reporting tool. In those cases, the IRS says it’s better to just file a tax return.
Finally, Americans who have been claimed as a dependent by another filer are not be eligible to receive an Economic Impact Payment.
For more information about Economic Impact Payments, visit the Economic Impact Payment Information Center on IRS.gov.
Source: COVID Tax Tip 2020-51; “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here”
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