When you file your 2019 tax return will impact your stimulus payment?

When you file your 2019 tax return will impact your stimulus payment?

by | Mar 30, 2020 | Adjusted Gross Income, COVID - 19, federal income tax, income tax credit, SSN, tax filing, Tax Payers, tax return, taxes, US Government

Calculate your Stimulus Eligibility

When you file your 2019 tax return will impact your stimulus payment?

File your 2019 tax return will impact your stimulus payment, The pandemic COVID-19 continues to have a huge impact on the citizens of the USA. The Federal Government has been taking several steps to alleviate the burden that the common people might be facing due to this dreadful disease. One major step taken by the US Government to help out the common people in easing tax-related stress is by the passing of a $2 trillion stimulus bill. This bill includes a provision by which several citizens of the country would receive stimulus cheque from the Federal Government.

Eligibility for obtaining stimulus cheque

You can qualify to obtain the stimulus cheque from the Federal Government if the below-mentioned conditions are met.

  1. If you are a US resident who is single and have an adjusted gross income which is less than $99,000.
  2. If you file your tax returns as the head of the household and earn an amount below $136,500.
  3. If you are filing your tax return jointly without any children and would earn an amount less than $198,000. 

How to obtain the stimulus cheque    

For obtaining a stimulus cheque, a person should have a Social Security number and should be the residents of the United States. The amount you can receive as a stimulus cheque is based on the adjusted gross income (AGI) that has been listed in your latest tax returns.

The IRS would be using the direct deposit information that you have provided during filing your last tax returns. In case your bank details have not been mentioned while filing the last return, the IRS would send the cheque to the recent address it has. It is also advisable to notify the IRS if you have shifted your house recently. 

Factors affecting the stimulus payment

There are some major factors which can affect your stimulus payment such as

Filing status-If you are single you can receive $1200 as your stimulus payment, but for a married couple who are filing the income tax returns jointly the stimulus payment is $2400.

Size of your family-The stimulus payment also depends on the size of your family and for every child of yours who is below the age of 17 years; the stimulus payment is an additional $500.

Dependent-In case if you are claimed as a dependent on the tax returns of someone else then they would not be receiving any stimulus payment.

Level of your income-If you have a high income, the stimulus payment depends on the level of your income. For a married couple filing returns jointly, the stimulus payment starts reducing if the AGI exceeds $150000 and the same thing can occur for taxpayers who are single and their income exceeds $75000.

 

However, there is another factor is important in determining the stimulus payment and that is whether the tax returns for the year 2019 have been filed or not.

When are you filing your 2019 tax return?

Firstly, the IRS would always check out for tax returns related information for the year 2019 for making the stimulus payment. If there is no information available for the year 2019, the IRS would use the information for the year 2018.

In case, you have a Social Security Number but do not need to file the tax return then your stimulus payment would be done based on the information present in Form 1099-SSA.

This can be utilized as an opportunity by several taxpayers and if you have not filed or prepared your tax returns of 2019, then he can take into consideration the variables like Adjusted Gross Income, family size, etc. to determine higher stimulus payment to occur in which the year 2018 or 2019. 

If, you feel that the payment was better in 2018 than you would hold on to that information or else if the returns of 2019 tend to yield more results then you should file your returns immediately.

Moreover, you must also consider any refund which you might obtain from the 2019 tax returns. It is quite obvious that you will have to make a decision i.e. either a large refund now and a smaller stimulus or larger stimulus immediately and the same refund after some months. 

 

Stimulus payment can be said as an advanced payment which you would make against the actual credit that will be computed on the tax returns of 2020.

  1. In case your advance payment done is less than what you would owe while computing the tax returns of 2020, then the excess would be obtained as a credit on the tax returns. 
  2. However, if advance payment is greater than what you owe while filing 2020 returns then there is no procedure to repay the excess amount or in recognition of the excess amount as income.

Conclusion

Hence, your stimulus payments are highly determined by when you are filing your tax returns. If you have not filed your tax returns for 2019 yet then you must consider if the tax return filing would either increase your stimulus payment or decrease it and then pursue your actions accordingly.

References

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonynitti/2020/03/26/when-you-file-your-2019-tax-return-will-impact-your-stimulus-payment/#32168a96b9dc

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bigger-stimulus-check-waiting-file-123220996.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/26/coronavirus-stimulus-checks-heres-everything-you-need-to-know.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-26/when-and-how-will-i-get-that-1-200-stimulus-payment-quicktake

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/coronavirus-stimulus-check-is-official-find-out-if-youre-eligible-for-up-to-1200/

https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/how-to-get-a-stimulus-check-from-the-us-government-which-could-pay-up-to-1200-if-you-qualify/articleshow/74837139.cms          

 

What is the process to obtain the US Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)?

What is the process to obtain the US Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)?

by | Jan 31, 2020 | federal income tax, IRS, ITIN, SSN, tax filing, Tax Payers, tax return, taxes, W-7 Form

What is the process to obtain the US Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)?

US Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is an Identification Number which is used by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) for the administration required in the field of tax laws. ITIN is a nine-digit number that is issued either by the SSA (Social Security Administration) or by the IRS. ITIN is issued by IRS to those individuals who must have a US taxpayer identification number but do not qualify to obtain SSN (Social Security Number)from the SSA.

Why do you need ITIN?

When you are working in the US and earning in the US, but you do not qualify to obtain an SSN, then the ITIN will be helpful during your filing for tax returns.

Let us find out what does an ITIN does.

  1. If you qualify to obtain a tax refund from the IRS, then ITIN will help you in obtaining a refund.
  2. ITIN will help you to file your taxes and help the qualifying dependents to claim the tax benefits.
  3. Moreover, ITIN can help you to apply for a mortgage loan or open a bank account.

Eligibility for obtaining ITIN

 You should be falling into these below-mentioned categories to obtain the ITIN.

  1. You should be a non-resident alien who needs to file a US tax return.
  2. You must be a US resident alien who has to file a US tax return.
  3. You should be a dependent or the spouse of a US citizen or resident alien.
  4. You must be a dependent or spouse of a non-resident alien VISA holder such as H4 VISA.
  5. You should be a non-resident alien who is claiming a tax benefit.
  6. You should be a non-resident alien student, researcher or professor filing a US tax return or for claiming an exception.

Procedure to obtain ITIN

  • For the process of applying for ITIN, you will need the below-mentioned documents.
  1. Form W-7
  2. IRS Application for Individual Tax Identification Number.
  3. Your federal tax return. But, if you are eligible for an exception then you must provide the supporting documents as well for the exception.
  4. Original documentation from the issuing agency for proof of your identity and foreign status.
  • Since, you will be filing your tax returns in the form of an attachment to your ITIN application you should avoid mailing your filled form to the address which is mentioned in Form 1040, Form 1040A or even Form 1040EZ.
  • You can send your Form W-7, tax return, and other documents either to the mailing address mentioned in Form W-7 or submit it at the walk-in offices of the IRS. You can also get your form and documents processed by an agent who has been appointed by the IRS.
  • These Acceptance Agents are those entities such as colleges, financial institutions, accounting organizations, etc. who help the ITIN applicants in obtaining ITIN. These Acceptance Agents would review the application forms and would forward them to IRS for further processing.

Timeline within which ITIN must be applied

When you are ready to file your Federal Income Tax Return, you should also complete your Form W-7. This needs to be done as the return would be needed to be attached to FormW-7.

If you are qualifying for any of the exceptions, then you do not need to file a tax return. You would only submit Form W-7 along with those supporting documents which provide proof for the exception. An applicant is allowed to apply for ITIN during any time of the year but if you need to attach the tax return to Form W-7 and that tax return is filed after the due date then you might have to pay penalties.

When will you receive your ITIN?

 The IRS usually takes a time of around two months to complete the processing of the ITIN form. If your documents and details are correct, then your form would be processed and ITIN would be sent to your mailing address approximately within two months.

However, if even after 2 months you do not receive your ITIN or any other document/correspondence from IRS then you can call IRS at the Toll-free number and enquire about your ITIN application.

Hence, ITIN is very much necessary for tax return and if you are filing your tax return with an expired ITIN then your request would be processed but you will not receive any tax exemptions or credit claims.

Reference

  1. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin
  2. https://www.hrblock.com/tax-offices/tax-prep/itin-application.html
  3. https://internationalcenter.umich.edu/resources/tax/getting-itin
  4. https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/what-is-an-itin
  5. https://www.immihelp.com/itin-individual-taxpayer-identification-number/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can You File Your Taxes In The US Without A Social Security Number?

Can You File Your Taxes In The US Without A Social Security Number?

by | Dec 30, 2019 | EITC, global income tax, IRS, ITIN, SSN, Tax Payers, Tax Planning, Tax Refund, taxes, W-7 Form

Can You File Your Taxes In The US Without A Social Security Number?

Citizens of the US use their Social Security Number as identification when it comes to doing their taxes. However, there are a lot of citizens from other places who do not qualify for SSN, yet earn in the country and are liable to pay taxes. If you are one such citizen, you can use the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN to file your taxes instead of SSN.

ITIN’s Capabilities

The ITIN is designed only to help citizens without an SSN the capability to file taxes and nothing else. The IRS clarifies that the ITIN cannot be used as:

  • An authorization to work in the US
  • Qualification for SSN or other tax credits such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
  • A stimulus to impact your immigration status

Who Needs an ITIN?

Anyone who needs to file their taxes and does not have an SSN can apply for ITIN. If you have a dependent and want to claim them in your tax returns and they do not have an SSN, you would need to get an ITIN for them as well.

As per the IRS, resident and non-resident aliens can get ITIN irrespective of what their immigration status is. An easy way to understand is that you would need an ITIN if you need to file your taxes. This is applicable even if you stay in another country.

How To Apply For ITIN?

Getting your ITIN isn’t all that complicated. To apply for ITIN, you need to submit Form W-7 to the IRS. You can either submit the form by mailing it to the IRS or schedule an appointment if you need any helpwith the forms.

To fill the application form, you would need certain basic details such as name, birthdate and mailing address. You would have to mention your US visa number should you have. Also, the form requires you to mention the reason why you want to apply for ITIN.

Expiry of ITIN

An issued ITIN can expire if it has not been used. If you obtain an ITIN and do not use the same for a period of three years, the ITIN will expire on the 31st of December 2019. ITIN that were issued before the year 2013 would also expire on the 31st of December 2019. The middle digits for the ITIN in such cases would be 83 and 84. For example, you ITIN could look like (9XX-83-XXXX).

Renewal of ITIN

In the event your ITIN expires, you do not have to worry about filing your taxes. You can always renew the ITIN using the following measures. You must fill up Form W-7 along with an application form for ITIN. While you are required to submit the required documents, you do not have to submit a tax return in the case of renewal. Unless there is a filing requirement, you do not have to submit your tax returns. If your family members were issued ITINs, you must submit their W-7 forms at the same time.

The renewal process of ITIN is a bit similar to getting a new one. You can use any of the following methods.

  • Mail the forms to the IRS at:

Internal Revenue Service

Austin Service Center

ITIN Operation

P.O. Box 149342

Austin, TX 78714-9342

  • Schedule an appointment with the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.
  • Apply for an ITIN in person at any Certifying Acceptance Agent that is authorized by the IRS.

You can file your taxes in the US even if you do not have a Social Security Number. You can apply for ITIN using the methods mentioned above and file your taxes.

Reference:

https://www.taxslayer.com/blog/how-to-file-taxes-without-a-social-security-number/

https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/how-do-i-renew-my-itin