IRS has distributed 152 million COVID-19 relief payments worth $258 billion

Expat tax break could net larger COVID-19 relief payment

Remembering military families, too, on Memorial Day 2020

IRS has distributed 152 million COVID-19 relief payments worth $258 billion

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Photo-of-footprints-on-sand-1656671_Wendy-Wei_Pexels

There are a lot of footprints on many U.S. beaches this Memorial Day weekend as folks seek seashores after weeks of staying home due to the coronavirus. (Photo by Wendy Wei via Pexels)

This Memorial Day long weekend is a big one for numbers.

As most states have relaxed at least some COVID-19 stay home orders, Americans are taking advantage of more openings to celebrate this unofficial start of summer. They are, naturally, heading to spots that offer traditional seasonal activities.

There's no official counts of how many folks have flocked to U.S. beaches and lakes and parks, but the consensus is too many. And from the images posted on social and traditional media, it looks like most are ignoring physical distancing recommendations

No memorial day social distancing Nick Dyer on Twitter

Nick Dyer (@nicholasddyer) May 24, 2020

More than shoreline waves possible: The medical community — and the more cautious of us lay people — fear that these festivities could lead to another, even worse surge in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks.

Our concern is that the waves in the graph above showing the resurgence of the 1918-19 flu pandemic could be reproduced by today's beach goers (and others). We shall see. Soon.

Additional relief money distributed: Uncle Sam also has some coronavirus-connected numbers, this time related to COVID-19 economic impact payments (EIPs).

On Friday, May 22, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said announced that almost $258 billion was parceled out in more than 152 million payments.

That's 25 million more recipients and $42 billion more dollars distributed since the IRS' last EIP update the first week of May.

This past week's delivery data came a few days after Treasury revealed that in addition to paper checks and directly deposited EIPs, it also is sending coronavirus cash on debit cards. It's unclear whether those plastic payments are part of these latest numbers.

What is clear is that the new figures — 152 million and $258 billion — earn this week's By the Numbers honors.

Treasury and the IRS also released a state-by-state break out, shown in the table below, of where the COVID relief money went.

Economic Impact Payment Totals by State and Taxpayers Abroad as reported May 22, 2020
State	Total Number of EIP Payments	Total Amount of EIP Payments
Alabama	2,332,771	$3,988,469,624
Alaska	333,429	$580,774,111
Arizona	3,242,043	$5,573,167,261
Arkansas	1,428,624	$2,496,524,966
California	16,869,636	$27,897,283,972
Colorado	2,605,089	$4,407,408,401
Connecticut	1,601,397	$2,609,644,445
Delaware	463,653	$778,262,906
District of Columbia	308,306	$421,734,460
Florida	10,618,792	$17,546,164,251
Georgia	4,763,109	$8,081,253,826
Hawaii	691,424	$1,179,264,436
Iowa	1,477,214	$2,660,402,672
Idaho	808,118	$1,512,453,150
Illinois	5,729,351	$9,630,495,809
Indiana	3,174,698	$5,613,824,661
Kansas	1,310,151	$2,359,448,490
Kentucky	2,199,370	$3,824,826,391
Louisiana	2,186,332	$3,680,836,165
Maine	714,941	$1,215,239,330
Maryland	2,692,062	$4,380,831,484
Massachusetts	3,136,787	$5,028,963,151
Michigan	4,813,156	$8,286,614,929
Minnesota	2,613,771	$4,577,086,990
Mississippi	1,427,440	$2,422,655,854
Missouri	2,933,973	$5,118,911,639
Montana	527,902	$932,003,084
Nebraska	887,877	$1,611,581,538
Nevada	1,496,510	$2,484,078,422
New Hampshire	676,004	$1,139,776,925
New Jersey	3,955,396	$6,507,621,505
New Mexico	997,072	$1,684,917,178
New York	9,341,632	$15,034,060,259
North Carolina	4,820,974	$8,264,415,092
North Dakota	354,768	$632,983,746
Ohio	5,828,477	$9,833,041,489
Oklahoma	1,799,803	$3,190,860,867
Oregon	2,031,861	$3,425,278,483
Pennsylvania	6,258,107	$10,596,406,088
Rhode Island	536,218	$869,615,684
South Carolina	2,443,864	$4,174,979,940
South Dakota	416,962	$759,483,658
Tennessee	3,305,606	$5,693,071,645
Texas	12,396,590	$21,635,810,592
Utah	1,287,162	$2,494,199,291
Vermont	327,867	$555,841,287
Virginia	3,796,975	$6,447,589,217
Washington	3,453,810	$5,876,091,642
West Virginia	913,264	$1,578,210,674
Wisconsin	2,817,912	$4,948,382,340
Wyoming	270,626	$488,905,666
Foreign Addresses	748,724	$1,222,795,510
Totals	152,167,600	$257,954,545,196

Check on or register to get your payment: If you haven't received your money yet, either as a paper check or direct deposit of debit card, the IRS urges you to visit its website to check on your EIP status via Get My Payment, as well as find answers to the most common questions the agency is getting about the payments.

And if you don't usually have to file a tax return, register using the non-filer online tool so that your COVID-19 relief payment can be included in the next delivery update.

Coronavirus Caveat & More Information
In 2020, we're all dealing with extraordinary circumstances,
both in our daily lives and when it comes to our taxes.
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce its transmission
and protect ourselves and our families means that,
for the most part, we're focusing on just getting through these trying days.
But life as we knew it before the coronavirus will return,
along with our mundane tax matters.
Here's hoping that happens soon!
In the meantime, you can find more on the virus and its effects on our taxes
by clicking Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes.

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Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2020 at 03:03 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Finances, IRS, Politics, State/Local, Stimulus plan, Tax numbers, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19 economic relief payments, direct deposit, Get My Payment, IRS, nonfiler registration, paper check, stimulus, tax, taxes

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Today's Tax Tip

Ways to e-pay your taxes — If you owe taxes, paying Uncle Sam electronically is a fast and easy way to go. Most who e-pay the Internal Revenue Service do so via credit or debit card. But there are other electronic ways to pay your tax bill. Here are six options. (Feb. 10, 2025)
The 2025 Tax Tips offer ways to file your annual return, along with post-filing advice, important tax news and, of course, ways to cut your current tax year bill. You'll find the monthly assemblages on their own respective pages: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Remember, tax tasks and tips don't stop after you file your annual return!

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Tax Year 2025 Countdown

Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2024 tax return? I know, too early to ask. But Tax Day 2025 will be here before we realize it. The Internal Revenue Service deadline to file and pay any tax we owe is the regular April 15 date this year. It’s also Tax Day for most of the states that collect income taxes from their residents, which is most of the states! If that seems too far away right now, don’t worry. As is the case every tax season, the ol' blog’s monthly tips and reminders a little farther down this column should help all of us meet our state and federal responsibilities. Procrastinators also will want to keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It tracks how much time we have until April's Tax Day, just in case we put off our annual tax task until the absolutely final hours and decide we need to instead get an extension request into the Internal Revenue Service by that date.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

💘 Time for Some 💘
💕 February 💕
💗 Tax Love 💗

The month that that's home to Valentine's Day also is the first full month of the annual tax season. While we might not be as sentimental about taxes as we are romance, this slightly longer Leap Year February still is a great time to at least appreciate any tax moves that could save us a few (or more) dollars.

via GIPHY

Plus, some early filers will be getting their refunds this month. You gotta love that! So, with tax hope, if not passion, in our hearts, let's get to some February tax moves.
Feb. 1: February is the shortest month of the year, but over these 28 days this year, we celebrate Black History Month, commemorating the invaluable e achievements and contributions of black Americans and recognizing the important role of African Americans in U.S. history.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization, was founded on this month, specifically on Feb. 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation twice.
One of the NAACP's key divisions is its Legal Defense and Educational Fund. If you want to support the NAACP Fund's work or give to an Historically Black College or donate to your local community nonprofit, your gift could help make a special statement during Black History Month. Your contributions also might be worth a tax break to you. As long as the group to which you donate is a 501(c)(3) organization, you can claim the amount as a charitable tax deduction if you itemize.

Feb. 2: Happy Groundhog Day!

Or as we call it here in Central Texas, Armadillo Day, since the nine-banded 'dillo Bee Cave Bob offers his own weather prognostications today.
But regardless of the weather today, or six weeks from now when we’re deeper into Tax Season 2025, you need to make sure you get your filing right. If you don’t, you’ll end up being the tax version of Bill Murray in the “Groundhog Day” movie, this time reliving your tax mistakes and correcting them by filing an amended tax return. Doing your taxes once is bad enough. So, do it correctly, the one and only time!

Feb. 3: Major disasters ravaged much of the United States last year. In fact, some taxpayers who got extensions in 2024 to file their 2023 tax year — yes, 2023 — returns by Oct. 15, 2023, were given even more time to complete that task due to the catastrophic hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other acts of Mother Nature that struck their areas. Today, however, is Tax Day for them. Those taxpayers on extension in 14 states and two U.S. island territories must file their 2023 tax year returns by today, Feb. 3.

Feb. 9: Are your ready Chiefs, Eagles, and special television commercial fans? It's finally Super Bowl Sunday! Not only will today's 59th Super Bowl decide American professional football's champion, it's also the biggest single betting day of the year. The NFL, like the other professional U.S. sports leagues, have embraced betting. Just remember, if any of your wagers pay off, either in person at casinos or online bets, you owe tax on your winnings. Note, too, that even if your winnings are part of a fantasy sports bet, the associated taxes are very real.

Feb. 10: If your job is as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers, maybe from those winning Super Bowl high-rollers, are part of your compensation, I hope you get all the tips you deserve for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income.

Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery or getting food delivered to your home, if a tip isn't included on your restaurant or delivery bill, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.

And if you got at least $20 in gratuities in January for your extraordinary services as a food server or hair stylist or parking valet or whatever job where tipping is common, you must report that amount by today. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.

Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day! Do you and your better half file a joint return? Most married couples do. Remember to look over the 1040 carefully before you sign it. When both spouses sign their jointly filed 1040, each is jointly and severally liable for the entire tax amount due. I don't want to spoil your Heart Day celebration, but this means the IRS can come after either spouse for payment of a tax bill, even the husband or wife who is in more dire financial circumstances.

Feb. 17: Today's Washington Birthday federal holiday officially honors George Washington, the Father of Our Country. Over the years, however, this federal (three-day, yay!) holiday has come to commemorate the contributions of all our Commanders in Chief, and is popularly known as Presidents' Day. That means we've got to give another shout out to Abraham Lincoln, who essentially was father of our income tax system, signing into law a tax on earnings to help pay Civil War costs.

Feb. 18: The Internal Revenue Service today can finally issue refunds to filers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or additional Child Tax Credit. But don't spend the money just yet. Even if you're getting your tax refund directly deposited, the IRS' general processing time plus protocols of financial institutions receiving the refunds you’re your tax cash probably won't actually show up in your account until closer to the end of this month.

Feb. 24: You're ready to work on your tax return, but you're on a budget. No worries. The IRS and its Free File Alliance partners are back, again offering no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $84,000 or less, regardless of filing status at the official IRS.gov Free File website. The same eight software companies that participated last year are back for the 2025 filing season.

If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.
You also might want to check out IRS Direct File, the IRS’ own free online tax prep and e-filing program if you live in one of the 25 states where the free online tax preparation and e-filing is offered. In addition, Direct File offers more options that apply to more taxpayers’ situations this year.

Feb. 28: Wow! This really is a short month! Or maybe we were just having a ton of tax fun. Wait. What? You say you weren't having any fun at all trying to do your taxes yourself, even with software's prompts, and have decided to turn to professional tax help. That's a smart move, and here are some tips on how to find the perfect tax professional for your filing and planning needs. Note, though, that at this point in the filing season, you're likely to be placed at the end of that tax pro's very long client queue, as reputable tax preparers' calendars fill up fast. So again, be patient. You're at least now in tax filing line.

Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. The IRS is updating the online version. Until that link is operational, you can get the full year's important business and individual tax dates in IRS Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

Don't forget your state taxes!
Forty-two states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the eight states without any income levy, you still face other state (and local) taxes.

State Tax Departments provides links to your state's Web page. The companion page, Tax Tidbits, is the compilation of blurbs about each state's tax laws. And for more state tax news, check out all our state tax bloggings.

Tax Forms

Thanks to our increased use of tax preparers and computer software, many of us don't see our tax forms until we sign and file them. But knowing what's on these documents, either in paper or digital form, and why the IRS wants it is key to understanding our tax system. And knowledge definitely is power, especially when it comes to tax savings. Find this valuable information in the ol' blog's special Tax Forms 2025 page.

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In other words, my ramblings on the ol' tax blog are free advice, and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it is time for you to file your own taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent, or other reputable, qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
These five Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020
August-December 2020
January-December 2021
January-December 2022
…and so it continues into 2023
…and, alas, into 2024
It is 2025 and, yes, it's still an issue
You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

Need help finding a coronavirus vaccine in the United States?
Call 1-800-232-0233
or TTY 1-888-720-7489.
More information and resources at:
CDC Vaccines
CDC Booster Shots
HHS Combat COVID
USA.Gov COVID Info

February 2025

..................................................

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Tell it to the Hill

While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — Congress and the White House for our tax laws. So if you have an issue with tax legislation or want a tax bill passed, you need to let your federal legislators and the White House occupant know of your concerns. You can find out who in Washington, D.C., to contact (and how), as well as get information on your local lawmakers for matters, tax or otherwise, closer to home, at USA Gov.

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