Enacts additional direct payments for individuals.
These payments are structured as refundable tax
credits against 2020 income taxes. The IRS will
generally use information from 2019 income tax
returns to issue the payments as soon as possible,
with a deadline of January 15, 2021. Eligible
individuals who do not receive a payment by that
date will receive the credit when they file their
2020 income tax return.
Payments are $600 per eligible individual ($1,200
for married joint filers), and $600 for each eligible
dependent.
The payment phases out at a rate of $5 per $100
of income above $75,000 ($112,500 for head of
household filers, $150,000 for married joint filers
or a surviving spouse).
Eligible taxpayers who file as single or head of
household must provide a Social Security Number
(SSN) in order to receive a payment. Married joint
filers must provide an SSN for at least one spouse.
For joint filers where one spouse provides an SSN
and the other spouse provides an Individual
Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the
payment amount is $600 rather than $1,200.
Individuals must also provide the SSNs of their
qualifying children in order to receive the
additional $600 per child.
These payments are generally exempt from
reduction for debts owed to or collected by
governmental agencies (including past-due child
support) and private/commercial debts.
For eligible individuals who did not file a 2019
income tax return and who received Social
Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
Railroad Retirement, or Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) benefits, Treasury is directed to issue
payments based on information provided by the
Social Security Administration or VA.
Clarifies that if a direct payment for a specified
Social Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement, or VA
beneficiary was deposited into the account of a
representative payee (“payee”) or fiduciary, it shall
be used only for the benefit of the entitled
beneficiary. The payee and fiduciary enforcement
provisions would apply as under current law.
Directs Treasury to conduct outreach to other
eligible nonfilers.
Requires Treasury to report on the use of funds
to carry out the payments.
If a taxpayer receives a larger advanced credit in
2020 than they were eligible for on their 2020
income tax return, they generally would not be
required to pay back the difference. If an individual
received an advanced payment less than what they
For background, see
CRS Insight IN11513, COVID-
19 and Direct Payments to
Individuals: Comparison of Recent
Proposals for a Second Round of
Payments, by Margot L.
Crandall-Hollick.
CRS Report R46415, CARES Act
(P.L. 116-136) Direct Payments:
Resources and Experts,
coordinated by Margot L.
Crandall-Hollick.
CRS Insight IN11282, COVID-19
and Direct Payments to
Individuals: Summary of the 2020
Recovery Rebates/Economic
Impact Payments in the CARES
Act (P.L. 116-136), by Margot L.
Crandall-Hollick.
CRS Insight IN11234, Tax Cuts
as Fiscal Stimulus: Comparing a
Payroll Tax Cut to a One-Time
Tax Rebate, by Molly F.
Sherlock and Donald J.
Marples.
CRS Report RS21126, Tax Cuts
and Economic Stimulus: How
Effective Are the Alternatives?, by
Jane G. Gravelle.