April 01, 2020

IRS Ignores Congress; Tells Social Security Beneficiaries They Must File Tax Returns to Get Stimulus Payments

The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding new IRS guidance that Social Security beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and veterans must file a tax return to receive their $1,200 CARES Act payment.

“We are in a national emergency and public health crisis. Yet the IRS is placing an unnecessary, unjustified and undue burden on seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans, all of whom are dealing with enormous hardships during this health care crisis. 

“The CARES Act explicitly gave the Treasury Department the authority to use the information the government already has to get stimulus payments to people quickly. It has the necessary data in hand to do their job. The only purpose of this bizarre rule is to suppress needed funds going to those who need them the most. This action would make Franz Kafka blush.

“This guidance serves no purpose but to prevent people who need the money from getting it. At best it will cause enormous delays. At worst, they will never get the money because they are unaware of this requirement or cannot file a back-dated return.

“The 4.4 million members of the Alliance for Retired Americans call on the Trump Administration to fix this immediately. Older Americans and people with disabilities can’t wait.”

Mr. Fiesta is available for interviews. Please contact David Blank at dblank@retiredamericans.org.

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