Wisconsin residents who did not file taxes may still be eligible for a federal Economic Impact Payment; application deadline is October 15

MADISON – Wisconsin residents represent 111,426 of the nearly 9 million people nationwide receiving a letter this month from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) encouraging them to see if they are eligible to claim a federal Economic Impact Payment.

More than 7 million people have already used the Non-Filers tool to register for a payment. These letters are part of a final stage of the IRS’s Economic Impact Payments campaign that began in March to reach all eligible registrants.

“We are working closely with the federal government to get the word out to Wisconsinites who may qualify and have yet to receive a federal stimulus payment,” said Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca. “We continue to fight the pandemic here in Wisconsin, and part of our fight is getting funds in the hands of the people who need it.”

• Letter recipients are people who typically are not required to file federal income tax returns but may qualify for an Economic Impact Payment. The letter urges recipients to visit the IRS’s Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info tool on IRS.gov before the October 15 deadline to register for an Economic Impact Payment.
• Eligible persons may register now using the Non-Filers tool and do not need to wait for the letter to arrive. Those unable to access the Non-Filers tool may submit a simplified paper return following the procedures described in the Economic Impact Payment FAQs on IRS.gov. Alternatively, people can wait until next year and claim the recovery rebate credit on their 2020 federal income tax return.
• Individuals can receive up to $1,200, and married couples can receive up to $2,400. People with children younger than age 17 at the end of 2019 can receive up to an additional $500 for each qualifying child.

The IRS emphasized that anyone required to file either a 2018 or 2019 tax return should file the tax return and not use the Non-Filers tool. That tool is designed for people with incomes typically below $24,400 for married couples, and $12,200 for singles. This includes couples and individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

The letter, officially known as IRS Notice 1444-A, is written in English and Spanish and includes information on eligibility criteria. If not done so already, this letter urges eligible individuals to register using the free Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info tool, available in English and Spanish and only on IRS.gov. To help address fraud concerns, a copy of the letter is available on IRS.gov.

Letters will mail from an IRS address to people who haven’t filed a return for either 2018 or 2019. Internal analysis indicates these are typically people with no tax return filing requirement because they appear to have low incomes based on forms W-2 and 1099, and other third-party statements available to the IRS.

The IRS cautions that receiving a letter is not a guarantee of eligibility. An individual is likely eligible for an Economic Impact Payment if they:

• are a U.S. citizen or resident alien;
• have a work-eligible Social Security number; and
• can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return.

People can qualify for a payment even if they don’t work or have no earned income. However, low- and moderate-income workers and working families eligible to receive special tax benefits, such as the earned income tax credit or child tax credit, cannot use this tool. They will need to file a regular tax return as soon as possible. The IRS will use their tax return information to determine and issue any Economic Impact Payment for which they are eligible.

For more information on the Economic Impact Payment, including updated answers to frequently asked questions and other resources, visit www.IRS.gov/coronavirus.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.