When the stimulus payments were issued to Americans as part of the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic an extra $500 payment was available for eligible children, but to receive those payments it was required to provide specific information to the IRS online. The original deadline to provide this information has passed, but now the IRS is extending the deadline to September 30, 2020 for people to provide this information to be eligible for these payments.
This is good news for the likely millions of Americans who missed out on this opportunity and it shows the IRS is doing the right thing. When the original deadline was issued for April 22 the IRS only gave 48 hours notice of the deadline according to CNN.
All children under the age of 17 are eligible for this payment. Anyone who misses the new September 30 deadline will be out of luck until next year when they will need to claim the credit on their 2020 tax return. According to the story, the IRS had sent out more than 160 million economic stimulus payments by the end of March 2020.
Lean On Online Services During The Pandemic
During a time when some Social Security offices remain entirely closed to the public the agency is urging Americans to focus on accessing the agency’s online services. It is not an idea situation, but many things can be achieved online. Such services include applying for benefits, either retirement or disability benefits, checking the status of an application, requesting a replacement Social Security card or accessing a benefit verification letter. Some people may be hesitant to conduct business online, but Social Security is urging people not to wait until Social Security offices re-open because waiting could mean a delay in obtaining essential services.
