Through bipartisan congressional support and the President’s backing, a new round of stimulus has officially passed. The 900 billion dollar stimulus package will support struggling families and businesses amid the rising number of cases and increasing unemployment claims. The new stimulus package follows the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine rollout, signaling a sign of hope for millions of Americans during the holiday season. The fifth round of economic stimulus is much smaller compared to the several trillion dollar CARES Act but now includes mixed-status families. Unlike the CARES act which was enacted in late March and required both tax filers to have a social security number, the new stimulus deems mixed-status families as eligible. Mixed-status families would also be eligible to collect stimulus checks that they were previously excluded from in the original CARES Act.
The agreement offers United States Citizens and green card holders who filed jointly with an undocumented spouse to receive $600 in direct aid, with an additional $600 per dependent. As mentioned before, the new bipartisan bill will offer mixed-status families with just one social security number an additional $1,200 per household and $500 per dependent that they were previously ineligible to receive in the CARES ACT. To read more on what you may receive, visit here.
In order to qualify for stimulus payments, certain adjusted gross income criteria must be met. For example, a single filer earning more than $75,000, heads of households earning over $112,500, and couples earning more than $150,000 will receive phased out $600 stimulus payments. Individual tax returns that are filed by undocumented immigrants are not eligible for the stimulus checks as part of the Democrat and Republican compromise. Children that are United States citizens but have undocumented parents are also ineligible to receive an economic stimulus payment.
The new compromise offers millions of mixed-status families necessary stimulus amid rising coronavirus cases. Immigrants are potentially more vulnerable to infection due to higher rates of poverty, overcrowded housing conditions, and the type of work they do. There is no question that immigrants contribute to our economic system in both the labor market and through taxes, thus they should receive financial support. Immigrants have continued to be on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic and were still excluded from the stimulus back in March. Thankfully, congressional Republicans and Democrats realized those who pay taxes deserve to also reap the benefits. Make no mistake, stimulus payments are tax dollars coming right back to you.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D), criticized the CARES act for requiring both filers to have legal status in order to qualify for stimulus payments. “It was unfair and absurd that millions of taxpayers in need of assistance to feed their families, many in the immigrant community with U.S. citizen children and working on the frontlines, were previously denied access to these survival funds,” Schumer said. “I am pleased we were able to extend this economic lifeline to additional families in need.” The bipartisanship from both parties is in stark contrast to what we’ve seen over the past several months. As millions hurt, elected officials chose to play politics with the lives of Americans.
Congress should have passed financial stimulus support on a monthly basis to all tax filers in the beginning months of the Covid-19 pandemic, just like other developed countries. Now, nearly a year since the start of the pandemic, millions of Americans and immigrants have faced financial despair unlike any crises since the Great Depression. Corporate America has continued to benefit from a rallying stock market, huge financial incentives, and tax loopholes passed by Democrats and Republicans over the decades leaving the middle class behind. As millions of families struggle, our elected congressional leaders still fail to find reasonable economic stimulus for all.
Have questions on whether you qualify for direct aid provided by the new Coronavirus relief package? Contact The Law Offices of James A. Welcome to find out if you’re eligible.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stimulus-check-mixed-status-family-immigrant-eligible/