Because the government already processes payments to veterans and Supplemental Security Income recipients, many of whom lack the resources necessary to file tax returns, the IRS should directly provide the tax rebates included in the recent coronavirus relief legislation to those individuals, Neal, D-Mass., said in the letter. He was joined by Reps. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and Mark Takano, D-Calif.
"The federal government has the capacity to pay rebates automatically to SSI and VA recipients, and there is no excuse for not doing so," the letter said. "We call upon Treasury to immediately release guidance clarifying that it will use this existing data to pay rebates automatically to SSI and VA recipients, whether or not they have filed a recent tax return."
Social Security recipients will automatically receive their tax rebates from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the Treasury said Wednesday. By terms of the act, the Internal Revenue Service will send $1,200 to individuals and $2,400 to couples filing joint tax returns. Those payments will be reduced for those with incomes above $75,000, or $150,000 for couples, and they will be eliminated for those with incomes of more than $99,000 or $198,000 for couples.
--Editing by Neil Cohen.
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