PHOENIX – Following calls from Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the Treasury Department will allow veterans receiving compensation and pension benefits through the VA access to coronavirus-related rebate checks without having to file their taxes or take additional steps that may become barriers.
“I’m glad the Treasury Department reversed course and will allow Arizona veterans receiving compensation and pension benefits to receive their direct cash assistance without filing taxes. This is a necessary step so Arizona veterans who’ve served our country get the support they need during this public health crisis,” said Sinema.
Many veterans, especially those with severe service-connected disabilities, do not file taxes as they do not earn enough income outside their veterans benefits to meet the filing threshold. Requiring Arizona veterans to file taxes during the coronavirus outbreak or log onto the IRS website to use their new online tool for non-filers to receive rebate checks places an undue burden on veterans, especially those who lack reliable access to the internet.
Sinema recently pressed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure veterans and Arizonans with disabilities getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive rebate checks without having to file 2019 tax returns if their income falls below the federal threshold for filing.
On April 1, 2020, Sinema urged the IRS to follow the CARES Act law, after the agency released guidance contradicting provisions of the CARES Act that states Social Security beneficiaries do not have to file taxes to receive their assistance. After calls from Sinema, the IRS issued new guidance that seniors and individuals with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits will get their rebate checks without filing a tax return.
Sinema has also added a resources page to her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for the latest information on coronavirus.
