COVID-19 Stimulus Check

covid-19 Economic impact

payments (”stimulus checks”)

Neighborhood Legal Services

of Los Angeles County

What is a Stimulus Check?

A Stimulus Check is money that the gov-

ernment will give to individuals and fami-

lies to help them during the COVID-19

crisis.

How do I get a Stimulus Check?

If you filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return, you

do not need to do anything. The IRS will

send you the stimulus check.

If you get Social Security Retirement,

Social Security Disability Insurance, or

Railroad Retirement benefits, you do not

need to do anything. The IRS will send you

the stimulus check.

What if I didn’t file taxes in 2018 or 2019

and I earned some income from work?

If you are single and your income is higher

than $12,200, you should file your 2019 tax

return as soon as possible. If you are

married and your income is higher than

$24,400, you should file your 2019 tax

return as soon as possible. The deadline to

file taxes has been extended to July 15,

2020. But, if you can’t file right away, you

can still qualify to get your stimulus check

through December 2020.

If you have very low-income, but you

earned at least $1 from work, you should

think about filing taxes because in addi-

tion to getting the stimulus check you may

also be eligible for additional money

through the Earned Income Tax Credit

(EITC).

What if I didn’t file taxes in 2018 or 2019

because I am very low-income or I

didn’t earn any money?

If you are single with an income below

$12,200 or if you are married with an

income below $24,400 you should use this

free online form to get a Stimulus Check:

https://www.freefilefillable

forms.com/#/fd/EconomicImpactPayment

Will the IRS call me to ask me any ques-

tions after I file my taxes or fill out the

online form?

No! The IRS will not call you to ask for any

of your personal information or your bank

account. Do not give this information out

to anyone who calls you. This is a scam.

How much stimulus money will I get?

You will get $1,200 if you are single and

earn less than $75,000 before taxes.

You will get $2,400 if you are married and

file jointly and earn less than $150,000.

You will get $1,200 if you file as head of

household and earn less than $112,500.

You will receive a smaller stimulus check or

no stimulus money if you earn more than

these amounts.

Will I receive more money if I have

children?

You will get $500 for every child you claim

as a dependent, if the child is under 17 and

has a social security number. See here

about who you may claim as a dependent:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/whom-may-

i-claim-as-a-dependent

What do I need to do to get

a stimulus check?

How much money will I get?

How will I get the money?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will

deposit the money into the bank account

you listed in your 2018 or 2019 tax return,

or the special IRS form. If you did not give

the IRS a bank account, the IRS will mail

you a check to the address you provide.

How will I get the money if I get SSI

benefits?

Anyone who receives SSI, whether or not

they file tax returns or fill out the IRS form,

will receive $1,200 by the end of April.

But, if you’re on SSI and you have children,

you will not receive your child’s payment

until next year.

If you are on SSI and have children, you

can choose to fill out the new tool to get

money for you and your children:

https://www.freefilefillable

forms.com/#/fd/EconomicImpactPayment

How will I get the money if I get VA

benefits?

The government is trying to figure out the

fastest way to automatically get money to

individuals who receive VA benefits. The

IRS.gov website will have updates but we

don’t know if they will be able to do this. If

you didn’t file taxes in 2018 or 2019 and

don’t want to wait, you can use the new

tool: https://www.freefilefillable

forms.com/#/fd/EconomicImpactPayment

Do I need a social security number to

get a check?

Yes. If you file jointly with your spouse, you

and your spouse must both have social

security numbers.

Can I apply for my children if I don’t

have a social security number?

No. If you don’t have a social security

number you can’t apply for a stimulus

check for your child. Your adult child may

be able to get a Stimulus Check if they

have a social security number and will not

be a dependent in 2020.

Can I get a stimulus check if I was

claimed as a dependent?

You may get a stimulus check if you will not

be claimed as a dependent in 2020. You

are not considered a dependent if you

earn more than half of your living. See

here to learn about whether or not you are

a dependent: https://www.irs.gov/help/

ita/whom-may-i-claim-as-a-dependent .

I have a family member in jail, are they

eligible?

Yes. People living in an institution are able

to receive a stimulus check.

Will I have to pay money back if I make

more this year than I did last year?

No.

Will the Stimulus Check reduce my cash

aid, health care or food assistance

benefits?

No. If you spend the stimulus money within

12 months it will not affect your CalFresh,

SSI, School Meals, Medi-Cal, WIC or Cal-

WORKs benefits.

Will I get less money back from my

taxes in 2020 because I get a stimulus

check?

No. The stimulus check is a tax credit for

2020 that you will get before filing your

taxes for 2020. This will not change your

eligibility for other tax credits when you

file in 2020.

How will I get the money?

Am I eligible to get a stimulus check?

Should I be worried?

I owe child support. Will they take this

out of my check?

Yes. Your tax credit will be taken for your

child support debt and paid to the parent

you owe. The payment will reduce the

amount you owe for child support.

I owe student loans. Will they take this

out of my check?

No.

I owe someone money. Will the IRS give

my stimulus check to them?

No. The IRS will not give your stimulus

money to someone you owe money to for a

debt. The IRS will take money from your

check only if you owe child support.

If you were sued in court and a judge has

ordered you to pay a person or business,

that person or business could take the

money from your bank account (“levy it”).

If your stimulus check is deposited into your

bank account, that person or business

could may be able to get some of your

stimulus money. You can stop that from

happening by asking the IRS to mail the

check to you. It might take longer to get

your check if it is mailed.

What do I do if my Stimulus Check is

taken by my bank and I need the money

for my rent and food?

If your stimulus check was taken by a bank

levy because you owed money to some-

one, you can file a court document to get

the money back. You will fill out these two

forms: (1) Claim of Exemption (form

WG-006 ); and, (2) Financial Statement

(form WG-007 ).

Where can I get help with filing my

taxes?

If you made less than $69,000 in 2019, you

can file your taxes for free online at:

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/.

You can find help in person (after Safe at

Home Orders are lifted) at: https://

freetaxprepla.unitedwayla.org/en/

What if they send my Stimulus for just

me, but I have a child who lives with

me?

You can go to the IRS website and add a

child to your Stimulus Check. They may

have to send it separately: https://www.

freefilefillableforms.com/#/fd/

EconomicImpactPayment

What if I used a tax preparer in 2018

and 2019 to file my taxes and I don't

receive a stimulus check?

Contact the IRS to find out if your check

was sent to your bank account, or to a

different bank account connected to the

tax preparer. The IRS hotline is

1-800-829-1040. If the IRS says the check

was sent or deposited to the wrong bank

account, call legal aid for help.

How do debts or loans affect

my stimulus check?

What if I need help?

(213) 487-7211

For more information about

COVID-19 resources, see here.

For Free Legal Help,

Call (800) 433-6251