IRS Sends Letter From Biden Telling Americans About COVID-19 Relief Payments From Rescue Plan

Letters signed by President Joe Biden from then Internal Revenue Service have been sent out to Americans across the country this week. The letters are to inform the beneficiaries of COVID-19 direct relief stimulus checks of the money they were entitled to.

“My fellow American, on March 11, 2021, I signed into law the American Rescue Plan, a law that will help vaccinate America and deliver immediate economic relief to hundreds of millions of Americans, including you,” the letter reads. “This fulfills a promise I made to you, and will help get millions of Americans through this crisis.”

The American Rescue Plan directed massive financial aid aimed to help those suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 90% of Americans, including most dependents, are receiving $1,400 checks. Americans on unemployment or receiving jobless benefits will gain an additional $300 per week and benefits will be extended through September, $350 billion is being given to state and local governments to assist K-12 schools, $12 billion is being given in nutrition assistance, food stamp beneficiaries will continue to receive a 15% increase in stipend until September and several billion dollars will go to assist small businesses, vaccine research and vaccine distribution.

Congress mandated that under the American Rescue Plan that the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) must give a written confirmation as to how much a given person is entitled to. The provision in the American Rescue Plan reads that the I.R.S. “shall provide such taxpayer with a written notice which includes the taxpayer’s taxpayer identity… the aggregate amount of such payments made to such taxpayer during such calendar year, and such other information as the Secretary determines appropriate.”

Article by Brandon Mumei