Federal judge hammers the Trump administration for snatching back stimulus payments from incarcerate

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

In a stunning rebuke, a federal judge hammers the Trump administration for snatching back stimulus payments from incarcerated individuals

IRS is forced to set a new Oct. 30 deadline to allow incarcerated people to claim $100 million in stimulus money

By Michelle Singletary
Columnist
10/12/2020, 7:00:58 a.m.

While millions of Americans wait anxiously to see if another stimulus package will ever see the light of day, a federal judge in California has rapped the knuckles of Treasury and the IRS for withholding and requiring the return of relief money from incarcerated people.

A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of incarcerated individuals argued that the decision to deny the payments was arbitrary and against the law.

Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California agreed and ordered the Treasury Department and the IRS to reverse their decision to disallow stimulus funds to prisoners solely based on their incarcerated status. The government has filed an appeal.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (Cares) Act provides economic impact payments or stimulus payments of up to $1,200 for individuals and up to $2,400 for taxpayers filing a joint tax return.

The Cares Act specifically excluded some people: nonresident aliens, an estate or trust and people who are dependents on someone else’s tax return. The law did not exclude payments to incarcerated individuals.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/10/12/irs-must-send-stimulus-payments-to-incarcerated/

[jimfields33]

1. Dumb for trump to do since probably a few percent even had tax filed

Do prisoners get social security? If so then they should get the 1200.

[Iwasthere]

2. Why Oct 30th

There should be no end date. If they don't claim it they should then get it on next years taxes.