AUGUSTA, Maine — When Gov. Janet Mills signed the supplemental budget Wednesday afternoon, it set into motion the delivery of $850 relief checks for nearly 858,000 Mainers, according to her office.
That includes about 29,000 people over the age of 65, according to U.S. Census data.
THE QUESTION:
Karen Bossie from Gardiner asked NEWS CENTER Maine:
I have heard that seniors on social security, who are generally not required to file income tax, will be required to do so to get these checks. Is this correct?
Why are seniors not being told about this requirement?
And how will they do that when they do not receive a W-2 or 1099 or another form to file income tax?
THE SOURCES:
The Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services
THE ANSWER:
For the first question, yes, it's true. Seniors on social security who are generally not required to file income tax will be needed to get these checks. It's in the language of the budget.
Kelsey Goldsmith with DAFS wrote in an email:
Maine people have until Oct. 31, 2022, to file a 2021 Maine individual income tax return and claim their $850 Pandemic Relief Payment.
Social security recipients should be able to use the SSA-1099 tax form for filing, which is traditionally sent to social security recipients each January by the Federal government.
Those eligible must not be claimed as a dependent, must file as a full-time Maine resident, and must have a Federal adjusted gross income (FAGI) of less than:
- $100,000 if filing single or if married and filing separately;
- $150,000 if filing as head of household;
- $200,000 for couples filing jointly.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Goldsmith also wrote that the governor expects the first round of relief will be delivered as soon as June 1 and will be delivered on a rolling basis through the end of the year as returns are received.
As for Karen's second question of how people should file if they do not get a W-2 or 1099, the state is still figuring out those details.
Janet Smith is the executive director of New Ventures Maine, which coordinates the nine CA$H Maine coalitions, and leads the statewide work.
CA$H Maine is a statewide collaboration of ten coalitions, comprised of 50 non- and for-profit partners, working together to help empower Maine individuals and families to achieve long-term financial stability, according to its website.
Since 2003, it has offered free tax preparation to qualified filers during tax season and educated hard-working families and individuals about programs in their community that can increase their income, reduce debt, and build savings.
The budget includes $100,000 for New Ventures Maine to provide free volunteer tax assistance, including the filing of state tax returns; outreach to low-income individuals and families about federal and state tax credits; financial education, connections to financial services, and other resources; education for providers and volunteers; and statewide data collection.
Smith said they are still working on what forms those older Mainers will need to file to be eligible.