With the federal government providing little immediate relief from record inflation, some states are taking matters into their own hands. Seventeen states will or have paid taxpayers in the coming months.
Unlike previous pandemic relief efforts, these payments are more targeted and most offer much lower amounts. This is not because the government has developed a habit of being mean. Rather, it’s about helping Americans weather rising prices without fueling inflation.
“Programs that focus on specific sectors or groups, such as something like a gas card or income threshold-based spending could theoretically help alleviate some of the pain associated with the price of certain goods or services … overall there will be no impact on price creates too much pressure,” said Andrew Patterson, senior international economist at Vanguard.
In this way, federal and state governments hope to ease the burden on taxpayers in a world of rising prices.
Approved State Stimulus and Rebate Check Programs
Seventeen states have passed legislation to provide tax breaks to their residents. Here’s how these payments work:
California: Up to $1,050 off
California’s new budget pays $700 for couples applying together and earning less than $150,000 a year. Individual taxpayers within this income cap will receive $350. Eligible families will also receive an additional $350 if they have eligible dependents.
Taxpayers earning $75,000 or more receive tiered benefits of up to $250. If there are eligible dependents, families will receive an additional amount of up to $250.
Californians can expect to receive direct deposit and debit card payments between October 2022 and January 2023.
Colorado: $750 rebate payment
This summer, Colorado will rebate $750 to individual claimants and $1,500 to joint claimants. Colorado residents who are 18 or older and who have filed a 2021 state income tax return are eligible to receive payments throughout the 2021 tax year.
Only send physical checks to prevent fraud. Taxpayers who file their income tax returns by June 30 will receive a check by Sept. 30; those who file an extension can receive a check by Jan. 31, 2023.
Delaware: $300 rebate payment
In May, Delaware began paying taxpayers who file 2020 state income tax returns a $300 “relief” payment. One-time payments are possible due to budget surpluses. Couples who submit together will receive $300 each.
The payments were distributed to most eligible Delaware residents in May.
Instructions for filing a tax refund have not been issued for residents who have not yet filed a 2020 state tax return. The directive is expected to be published on October 17.
Check your rebate status or get answers to frequently asked questions from the Delaware Department of Treasury.
Florida: $450 payment
As part of the Hope Florida – Road to Prosperity program administered by the Department of Children and Families, some Florida families with children receive a one-time grant of $450 per child.
Eligible recipients include adoptive parents, relatives and non-relative caregivers of children, participants in the state’s Guardian Assistance Program, and families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance. The money comes from a Pandemic Relief Fund dedicated to households receiving TANF payments.
You don’t need to do anything to receive your payment; if you’re eligible, you’ll automatically receive payment by check. Mail is expected to be delivered on or before July 25, when the state’s back-to-school tax holiday begins.
“To help offset the costs of rising inflation, especially as the new school year approaches, Florida will provide $450 for each child in your care,” the Tallahassee Democrat said.
Georgia: $250 rebate payment
Due to the historic state budget surplus, Georgia residents filing 2020 and 2021 tax returns are eligible for a tax refund based on their tax return status:
- Individual applicants: up to $250
- Head of Household: Up to $375
- Married Joint Filing: Up to $500
Discounts are also available if you owe state income tax or other payments, such as underage residents.
Residents who filed taxes before Governor Brian Kemp signed it into law will receive their tax refund in a separate payment. The state expects to send all rebates by early August for returns filed on April 18.
Georgia taxpayers can learn more about the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Hawaii: $300 rebate payment
In January, Gov. David Iger proposed sending tax refunds to every taxpayer in Hawaii. Taxpayers earning less than $100,000 a year will receive $300, and taxpayers earning more than $100,000 a year will receive $100. Relatives are also entitled to discounts.
Hawaii lawmakers have approved the rebate, but details of the distribution have not been released. Payments can begin processing in late August, according to the IRS.
Idaho: $75 rebate payment
In February, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed legislation to provide Idahos with $350 million in tax rebates. There are two eligibility criteria:
- Full-time residents of Idaho and filing 2020 and 2021 tax returns, or
- Live full-time in Idaho and apply for food loan refunds.
Payments begin in March. Each taxpayer will receive either $75 or 12% of their 2020 Idaho tax, whichever is greater (see Line 20 of Form 40 for the amount you file). Rebates apply to every taxpayer and dependent.
The Tax Commission will first issue the refund to taxpayers who received a direct deposit refund, and then send a paper refund check.
State residents can also check the status of their discount online.
Illinois: $50 rebate
In April, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker included state taxpayer refund checks in the state budget.
Discounts are available to residents earning less than $200,000 a year ($400,000 per couple applying together). $50 per person, plus an additional $100 per eligible dependent (up to three children per family).
The discounts are expected to be released the week of September 12; according to the Illinois Treasury Department, it will take “months” to release them all.
Indiana: $125 rebate payment
Like Georgia, Indiana will end 2021 with a healthy budget surplus. In December 2021, Governor Eric Holcomb announced that Indiana taxpayers will receive a one-time $125 rebate after filing their 2021 taxes.
There is no income requirement. Residents must file a 2020 state tax return by January 3, 2022 and a 2021 Indiana tax return by April 18, 2022 to be eligible. Payments begin in May and are expected to continue through midsummer, according to a national information site.
Taxpayers filing together will receive a one-time deposit of $250.
Most taxpayers get additional refunds through direct deposit. If you change banks or do not provide direct deposit information, you will receive a paper check in late summer.
Visit the State Department of Revenue website for more information. For taxpayers who did not receive payment by September 1, we will add more information.
In June, Holcomb announced a plan to pay taxpayers about an additional $225, but it has yet to be approved by the state legislature.
Maine: $850 in direct aid payments
Gov. Janet Mills signed a supplemental budget on April 20 authorizing $850 in direct aid to Maine taxpayers.
Eligible are full-time residents with a federally adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 ($150,000 if filing as a head of household, or $200,000 if filing together as a married couple). Couples filing together will receive relief checks totaling $1,700 per taxpayer.
Taxpayers are entitled to payment whether they owe state income tax or not.
Residents who have not yet filed their 2021 state tax return must submit payment by October 31.
The one-time payment, funded by the state’s surplus, was mailed to the address on your 2021 Maine tax return in June.
The supplemental budget also includes increased benefits for recipients of the Maine Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts legislature initially sought a plan to provide residents with a $250 tax break from the budget surplus. Now, it will send a $250 tax refund due to the excess income tax receipt. More than $2.5 billion will be allocated.
The state government is currently evaluating how to issue rebates to voters and could release a plan after September.
Minnesota: $750 for frontline workers
Some frontline workers may receive a one-time payment of $750 thanks to a bill that Gov. Tim Walz signed in early May.
Eligible workers must have worked in Minnesota for at least 120 hours between March 15, 2020 and June 30, 2021, and are not eligible to work remotely. Workers directly responsible for the care of Covid-19 patients must earn less than $175,000 a year between December 2019 and January 2022; workers with no direct responsibility for patient care must earn less than $85,000 annually for the same period. Payment applications are now closed.
Walz recently proposed using the state’s $7 billion budget surplus to fund a generous aid program and suggested that Minnesotas get $1,000 tax refund checks each. This requires action by state legislatures.
New Jersey: Tax refund check for $500
In the fall of 2021, Gov. Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature approved budget measures to send one-time rebate checks of up to $500 to nearly 1 million households.
New Jersey also pays $500 to those who file their taxes using a tax ID number instead of a Social Security number. Excluded New Jerseyans funds are available to nonresidents and resident aliens, their spouses and dependents.
New Mexico: $500 rebate
In early March, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation giving state taxpayers several rebates.
Taxpayers earning less than $75,000 a year (less than $150,000 for joint taxpayers) receive a $250 rebate ($500 for taxpayers). Refunds will be issued in July and automatically sent to taxpayers who have filed their 2021 state tax returns.
Another discount is offered to all taxpayers. Individual applicants will receive $500 and joint applicants will receive $1,000. The rebate will be split into two equal payments payable in June and August 2022. These funds will be automatically remitted to taxpayers who file their 2021 state tax returns.
Taxpayers earning less than $75,000 a year may receive a combined tax refund of up to $750.
Residents who do not file income tax returns should receive their tax refunds in July. Singles with no dependents can get $500; married couples or families of single adults with dependents can get $1,000.
If you filed your 2021 state income tax return by May 31, 2023, you will receive your refund by direct deposit or check. If you owe tax on your 2021 tax return, it will be deducted from your refund amount.
Oregon: $600 direct payment
In March 2022, the Oregon Legislature voted to authorize a one-time $600 payment to some residents. Taxpayers who are eligible for the Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their 2020 state tax return and who lived in Oregon during the last six months of 2020 are eligible for one payment per household.
The state used federal pandemic assistance to make direct payments to low-income residents, with more than 236,000 households receiving payments. All payments are made by direct deposit or mailed check between June 23 and July 1, 2022.
The Oregon Department of Revenue’s website contains FAQs for residents who have concerns about receiving payments.
South Carolina: Discounted checks up to $800
The budget approved in June included a $1 billion tax rebate that would allow some taxpayers to pay up to $800 in one-time payments. Details on how to get the rebate, expected to be paid later this year, have not been announced.
Virginia: $250 rebate
The Virginia State Legislature approved the one-time tax rebate in June. Eligible taxpayers who filed their income tax by July 1 should receive their refund by October 31. According to the Virginia Department of Treasury, you must file your taxes by November 1 to receive your refund.
Residents who move or change their name should update their information with the Virginia Department of Revenue by August 15.
Pending government petrol rebate and stimulus package
Four states, while not yet approved and signed into law by state legislatures, have enacted legislation targeting gas rebates, direct stimulus check payments, food tax deductions and income tax deductions for residents.
Kentucky
The Kentucky Senate approved a $1 billion tax rebate to taxpayers because of the state’s budget surplus, but the bill has been pending since it was introduced to the House. Eligible Kentuckians will receive a one-time payment of up to $500 and up to $1,000 per household. The state legislature has been on recess for a year, so residents are unlikely to see any relief anytime soon.
North Carolina
North Carolina has a $6.5 billion budget surplus that some Democratic lawmakers want to spend on tax refunds. A bill in the General Assembly that would provide $200 checks to residents (that is, licensed drivers over the age of 18) was vetoed by state Senate Republicans who would rather see a long-term tax cut than a one-time rebate.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has pending legislation that will provide nearly 250,000 families with direct assistance to fund costs such as child care and household expenses. Families with incomes of $80,000 or less will be eligible for a one-time payment of $2,000 under Governor Tom Wolf’s PA Opportunity Program.
The payments will be funded by the government surplus; however, Republicans believe this could worsen inflation.
$100 monthly federal energy return payment
In March, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), John Larson (D-CT) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) introduced the Gas Kickback Act of 2022. Through the end of 2022, the law will pay eligible taxpayers $100 per month in energy reimbursements and provide each dependent with an additional $100 per month.
Payment eligibility is structured similarly to previous stimulus payments. Married applicants filing jointly with an income of up to $150,000 and single applicants up to $75,000 are eligible for full payment and higher income exit tiers.
The bill must be passed by Congress before payments can begin. This has not been discussed at the committee level.
What’s next for the government’s stimulus checks?
Despite all of these policies and various legislation passed, Americans are still torn between what they need and what they can afford.
While gas rebates and stimulus checks can help cushion the blow from higher prices, some are still wary of paying extra, especially given that past pandemic relief packages are thought to have contributed to our current inflation rate.
For some lawmakers, “inflation-related stimulus payments are just feeding the cow,” explained Jaime Peters, assistant dean and assistant professor of finance at Maryville University in St. Louis, and putting more money into commodity supplies can afford in the market. cannot meet demand.
This creates a problem for families who don’t have the money to buy the commodities they need every day.
