Democrats in the Senate are pushing the administration to rescind or clarify guidelines that require seniors to file tax returns in order to qualify for a stimulus payment.
NBC News reported the effort is being led by Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
At issue are IRS guidelines that say those who were not required to file returns for 2018 or 2019 “will need to file a simple tax return to receive an economic impact payment.” The IRS had mentioned Social Security recipients in that category.
An estimated 64 million Americans received Social Security benefits last year, NBC News noted. And many of them were not required to file tax returns.
“This filing requirement would place a significant burden on retired seniors and individuals who experience disabilities, especially given the current unavailability of tax filing assistance from Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs during the COVID-19 crisis," the senators said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.
The $2 trillion stimulus package is designed to rush aid to workers, businesses, and a healthcare system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. It is the largest economic rescue bill in history.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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