2020 COVID relief bill provisions affecting individual taxpayers
Here is an overview of key provisions in the recent COVID relief legislation that affect individuals. The legislation is the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020 (the "Act" or COVIDTRA) and the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (TCDTR), both of which are part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. RECOVERY REBATE/ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENT Direct-to-taxpayer recovery rebate. The Act provides for a refundable recovery rebate credit for 2020 that will be paid in advance to eligible individuals, often automatically, early in 2021. These payments are in addition to the direct payments/rebates provided for in earlier Federal legislation, the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), called Economic Impact Payments (EIP). The amount of the rebate is $600 per eligible family member-$600 per taxpayer ($1,200 for married filing jointly), plus $600 per qualifying child. Thus, a married couple with two qualifying children will receive $2,400, unless a phase-out applies. The credit is phased out at a rate of $5 per $100 of additional income starting at $150,000 of modified adjusted gross income for marrieds filing jointly and surviving spouses, $112,500 for heads of household, and $75,000 for single taxpayers. Treasury must make the advance...
