$1000 government check comimg in the mail

Do you have to file a tax return in order to receive the $ 1,000 check from the government. What if a person is 95 years old and has no taxable income and does not have to file a tax return. Will the senior citizen with no income receive a check ?

The whole thing is hypothetical. A bill has not even been formally proposed much less written much less voted on much less signed into law. Why would any sentient being even ask this question?

Client called today asking about the potential payment in reference to his 95 year old mother

Tenletters must be a little stressed.

Yes, Nilodop. I am. How could you tell?

As I may have mentioned before I work in the fields of tax software development and CPE. An awful lot of my work is being negated due to recent events and needs to be revised / redone. I am getting too old for this....

Will it be like "making work pay"? Remember that?

Job security, Tenletters. You can't stop now - stopping makes you old.

Have the Feds issued any official guidance on the stimulus/payments, etc? I've heard alot of rumor and speculation but have seen nothing official in writing.

I found this; of course it's useless until blah blah blah approval.....


Who gets the checks?

Despite some mixed reports that “all” Americans will get a check, experts have pointed out some of the limitations of the stimulus. According to a review of the plan by Slate, Americans with little to no tax liability will receive less than the often talked about “$1,000.” Instead, they will be eligible for a minimum payment of $600. That would apply to many of the working poor, who likely are most impacted by the now sluggish economy due to coronavirus. Those who earned less than $2,500 will get nothing at all.“Low-wage workers who don’t have a federal tax return for 2018 or 2019—adults generally aren’t required to file one they if earn less than the standard deduction—also won’t qualify for the early rebate,” according to the Slate report.The direct cash payment plan to help Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, unveiled by Senate Republicans Thursday night, would send checks of up to $1,200 per person, but the exact amount will be based on income.

Why am I thinking somehow tax practitioner community will get pulled into this somehow?

Go to irs.gov and download Notice 2020-18 which has the current party line. The person needs to have filed a 2018, yes, 2018 tax return to be on the mailing list.

The whole thing is hypothetical. A bill has not even been formally proposed much less written much less voted on much less signed into law. Why would any sentient being even ask this question?

How can there be a notice issued concerning this if it is hypothetical ?

How can there be a notice issued concerning this if it is hypothetical ?

Which notice?

Go to irs.gov and download Notice 2020-18 which has the current party line. The person needs to have filed a 2018, yes, 2018 tax return to be on the mailing list.

Notice 2020-18
Search IRS 2020-18 to obtain a pdf of the notice issued a few days ago

It appears Notice 2020-18 relates to an update of Notice 2020 -17 dealing with the issue of the change in filing and payments to July15,2010 and has nothing to due with the $1,000 stimulus check.

It appears Notice 2020-18 relates to an update of Notice 2020 -17 dealing with the issue of the change in filing and payments to July15,2010 and has nothing to due with the $1,000 stimulus check.

Exactly Lucy...

Why am I thinking somehow tax practitioner community will get pulled into this somehow?

The whole thing is hypothetical. A bill has not even been formally proposed much less written much less voted on much less signed into law. Why would any sentient being even ask this question?

So are you saying that there is actually a chance that taxpayers will not be getting the $1,000 check which everyone is talking about in the last few days????? I cannot imagine if that happens what they would do to their tax preparer which is me.

Slim to none in my opinion ;at this point congress is just wrangling about the amount and how many payments there will be along with eligibility requirements

In the extreme chance this doesn't materialize there are none of my clients who will blame me .I fail to get the connection .

Not to get preachy, but I think it's going to go a long way to wait to official guidance is released and you've read it before commenting. Doing otherwise fuels misinformation.

Notice 2020-18 is three pages...It doesn't take that long to read. And, after you've read it you'll know it has nothing to do with stimulus/relief checks.

We're professionals, we should be looking to official IRS communication and what the language is in the bills that are making their way through congress and which the President has indicated he will sign.

It's not hard to keep clients clam during these times.

"I'm waiting on the official IRS communication before I send an e-blast to all clients"

"The situation is too fluid, I'm hoping to have more answers in the coming days"

"Right now what you're reading is just something [person name] said in a press conference. There is no legislation or executive order yet, but I'm continually monitoring the situation."

are all acceptable responses to clients. I don't think a reasonable client is expecting you to read the tea leaves for them...

If you're wrong, they might "clam" up.

Jeez...Let me tell you about how I keep my clients "clam".