If you are struggling to make ends meet and need assistance, you may get the help you need from your local government. Since the beginning of the pandemic, several states have passed legislation and provided stimulus checks for their residents. Depending on the state, you may be able to access payments in the form of a stimulus check or as a tax rebate.
Several states are currently evaluating new plans and measures to support their residents, but some have already passed legislation and are providing assistance: Maine, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana and New Mexico.
Maine Offers $850 in Relief Payments
In order to help households fight inflation, Maine residents will be required to file their 2021 individual income tax returns by October 31, 2022.
To access payments, individuals cannot be named as dependent on another person’s tax return and cannot exceed an income of $100,000 (as single or married filing separately), $150,000 (as head of household), or $200,000 (as married filing jointly).
Georgia Provides Refunds of Up to $500
Georgia House Bill 162 passed on March 14, 2023 and provides a full or partial refund of state income taxes paid. To qualify for the rebate, you will need to be full-year residents in 2021 and 2022 and have filed the state income tax return for both years. If you qualify, you will receive a refund via direct deposit.
Idaho Gives $300+ in Tax Rebates for Qualified Residents
In September 2022, House Bill 1, which provides tax rebates to eligible residents, was passed. To access these benefits, applicants must have been full residents in 2020 and 2021 and filed an income tax return or form 24 for those years by December 31, 2022.
Indiana Provides Tax Rebates of $125 and $200
In 2022, Georgia approved two Automatic Taxpayer Refunds. State residents should have received the first refund of $125 after filing their 2020 tax return before December 31, 2022.
If residents qualified for the first refund, they were automatically eligible for the second. However, the eligibility requirements for the two refunds differ, so taxpayers who did not qualify for the first may now be able to claim the second for $200.
Residents can receive the second tax refund if they have filed their 2022 state income tax returns no later than December 31, 2023. Requirements for the second refund include receiving SOcial Security benefits in 2022 and not being someone else’s dependent.
New Mexico Passed Legislation for a One-Time Rebate
In March 2022, the state passed House Bill 163 and plans to provide residents with a one-time tax rebate. Single filers can get $250 and married couples that file jointly can get $500.
Aside from these five states, several others are currently considering several stimulus payments and tax rebates, including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Additionally, several cities are also providing stimulus money to their residents:
- Chicago: Low-income residents can receive $500 checks to $5,000 each month throughout 2022. They’ll be selected at random for this stimulus lottery.
- Los Angeles: the BIG LEAP program provides 3,200 randomly chosen people with $1,000 each month.
- Pittsburgh: the Assured Cash Experiment program provides 100 low-income residents $500 each month for 2 years.
- Santa Ana: the Revive Santa Ana Resident Stimulus Program provides $300 in payments to low-income residents under the poverty level.
- Seattle: the Seattle Relief Fund provides $1,000-$3,000 for low-income residents.
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