The economic stimulus law passed in February 2008 contains
a special provision allowing Social Security Disability and
Retirement recipients to count those benefits toward the qualifying
income requirement of $3,000 and thereby qualify for the stimulus
payment.
However, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count
as qualifying income for the stimulus payment.
Basic Eligibility Requirements:
-
Individuals or families must have at least $3,000 in qualifying
income, which can be income from or in combination with
Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs benefits, Railroad
Retirement benefits and earned income.
People must have valid Social Security Numbers.
- People cannot be claimed as dependents or eligible to be claimed
as dependents on another's tax return.
- People must file a 2007 tax form, i.e. Form 1040A.
Individuals who need to file a return this year to receive
a stimulus payment may be able to take advantage of thousands
of free tax preparation sites nationwide for low-income and
older taxpayers:
-
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides
help to low- and moderate-income taxpayers. Call 1-800-906-9887
to locate the nearest VITA site.
-
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program provides
free tax help to people age 60 and older. To find an AARP
Tax Aide site call 1-888-227-7669 or visit the AARP Web
site.
For more information on the tax rebates and how the economic
stimulus package affects recipients of Social Security benefits,
visit the IRS page dedicated to this program:
http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=177937,00.html#FAQ |
