Stimulus & COVID-19 Tax Help & Information Center

^{UPDATED ON: December 28, 2020}

The much-anticipated emergency COVID-19 economic relief package was signed into law on December 27, 2020, after leaders of both parties in the U.S. Congress, along with the White House, reached an agreement on several pro-taxpayer provisions of the omnibus package.

^{UPDATED ON: January 11 2021}

An emergency COVID-19 economic relief bill was signed into law on December 27, 2020. Here’s what taxpayers need to know about the new law.

Life changes like getting married or divorced, having or adopting children, and buying or selling a house have traditionally had an impact on your federal tax return. However, the 2020 tax season is unparalleled to any other tax year and will likely throw surprises at taxpayers who don’t plan ahead. It's important to be prepared so you're not  shocked by the result when you file your income taxes. 

^{UPDATED ON: December 23, 2020}

Traditionally, freelancers and gig workers have been unable to claim unemployment benefits. Independent contractors and their clients don't pay into state unemployment funds by default. However, with the unprecedented situation that the COVID-19 pandemic has created, self-employed workers who otherwise wouldn't normally qualify for unemployment may now be eligible for payments.

^{UPDATED ON: December 23, 2020}

In late December 2020, Congress passed the Omnibus Spending Bill which included the COVID Tax Reform Act of 2020 (COVIDTRA 2020). It’s an extension to the CARES Act  designed to provide additional help to protect businesses and individuals from the economic effects of the Coronavirus.

^{UPDATED ON: December 23, 2020}

As the federal government manages its on-going and rapidly evolving response to the coronavirus epidemic, a variety of solutions including an additional $300 unemployment per week, an extension to March 12, 2021 for self-employed taxpayers to collect unemployment, and extension implementing paid leave for some workers and tax credits for small businesses, and an additional $900 billion stimulus plan to continue to bolster the U.S. economy has been passed as part of the 2021 budget. As a part of the recently passed COVID-Related Tax Relief Act of 2020 (COVIDTRA 2020), qualifying taxpayers should receive a second stimulus check in the near future.

^{UPDATED ON: December 23, 2020}

The IRS will be depositing the second round of stimulus checks for all Americans receiving Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and Veteran’s Administration benefits into the same accounts as their benefit payments. This is the same process used for the first stimulus payment.

Shutting down nonessential businesses may have been necessary to slow the coronavirus, but it’s nonetheless leaving staggering economic hardship in its wake. Recognizing the impending financial crisis, especially to small businesses, Congress passed two important bills to provide economic relief. The first was the CARES Act in March 2020. The second was the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement (PPPHCE) Act on April 21.

^{UPDATED ON: December 23, 2020}

With the Federal Government’s national recommendation to stay at home affecting businesses across the country, it may be time to file your taxes if you haven’t already done so. Remember, the majority of Americans filing taxes receive refunds, and additional funding during this time of uncertainty could provide you and your family with greater peace of mind.

The pandemic has left many people jobless, furloughed, and uncertain on where their next paycheck would come from. Unemployment benefits have been claimed at a record high, which has helped support those hit hardest during the pandemic. But what does this mean for these taxpayers? Anyone who received unemployment benefits will have to pay taxes on the benefits they received.