OnMyWay Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 20 minutes ago, roddavis said: OMW, it will be cuz my 3 years up in Apr and have to make a BI run with wife/son and come back in Balikbayan! Ahhh, ok, makes sense! Hopefully Disney Hong Kong will open up for you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Mike J Posted March 28, 2020 Forum Support Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, Mike J said: I would not be surprised is expats are excluded from those payments. Found the answer and it is yes. This is a VERY long article of FAQs. Hidden in case you do not want wade through all of it. <snip> Will U.S. citizens living abroad get a payment? Yes, as long as they meet the income requirements and have a Social Security number. <end snip> Spoiler F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus Plan The $2 trillion relief bill will send money directly to Americans, greatly expand unemployment coverage and make a number of other changes. Credit...Robert Neubecker Tara Siegel BernardRon Lieber By Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber March 27, 2020 996 President President has signed a bipartisan $2 trillion economic relief plan to offer assistance to tens of millions of American households affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Its components include stimulus payments to individuals, expanded unemployment coverage, student loan changes, different retirement account rules and more. MORE ANSWERSFrequently asked questions and advice about life under the coronavirus. Here are the answers to common questions about what’s in the plan. We’ll update this article as we know more about the details. More information on getting assistance can be found at our Hub for Help. Stimulus Payments How large will the payments be? ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Most adults will get $1,200, although some would get less. For every qualifying child age 16 or under, the payment will be an additional $500. How many payments will there be? Just one. Future bills could order up additional payments, though. How do I know if I will get the full amount? Thanks for reading The Times. Subscribe to The Times It depends on your income. Single adults with Social Security numbers who have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less will get the full amount. Married couples with no children earning $150,000 or less will receive a total of $2,400. And taxpayers filing as head of household will get the full payment if they earned $112,500 or less. Above those income figures, the payment decreases until it stops altogether for single people earning $99,000 or married people who have no children and earn $198,000. According to the Senate Finance Committee, a family with two children will no longer be eligible for any payments if its income surpassed $218,000. You can’t get a payment if someone claims you as a dependent, even if you’re an adult. In any given family and in most instances, everyone must have a valid Social Security number in order to be eligible. There is an exception for members of the military. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story You can find your adjusted gross income on Line 8b of the 2019 1040 federal tax return. Do college students get anything? Not if anyone claims them as a dependent on a tax return. Usually, students under age 24 are dependents in the eyes of the taxing authorities if a parent pays for at least half of their expenses. What year’s income should I be looking at? 2019. If you haven’t prepared a tax return yet, you can use your 2018 return. If you haven’t filed that yet, you can use a 2019 Social Security statement showing your income to see what an employer reported to the I.R.S. What if my recent income made me ineligible, but I anticipate being eligible because of a loss of income in 2020? Do I get a payment? The plan does not help people in that circumstance now, but you may benefit once you file your 2020 taxes. That’s because the payment is technically an advance on a tax credit that is available for the entire year. So it will depend on how much you earn. And there are many other provisions in the legislation. You may be able to file for unemployment or for one of the new loans for small-business owners or sole proprietors. Will I have to apply to receive a payment? No. If the Internal Revenue Service already has your bank account information, it will transfer the money to you via direct deposit based on the recent income-tax figures it already has. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story When will the payment arrive? Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he expected most people to get their payments within three weeks. If my payment doesn’t come soon, how can I be sure that it wasn’t misdirected? According to the bill, you will get a paper notice in the mail no later than a few weeks after your payment has been disbursed. That notice will contain information about where the payment ended up and in what form it was made. If you couldn’t locate the payment at that point, it would be time to contact the I.R.S. using the information on the notice. What if I haven’t filed tax returns recently? Will that affect my ability to receive a payment? It could. File a return immediately, at least for 2018, according to the I.R.S. website. “Those without 2018 tax filings on record could potentially affect mailings of stimulus checks,” the site says. Latest Updates: Markets and Business Despite a bailout, airline executives offer a bleak outlook. Wall Street falls back after three-day surge. Drop in consumer sentiment reading shows early look at the economic collapse. See more updates Updated 6h ago More live coverage: Global U.S. New York If you’re worried about money that you owe that you cannot pay, the I.R.S. recommends consulting a tax professional who can help you request an alternative payment plan or some other resolution. Will most people who are receiving Social Security retirement and disability payments each month also get a stimulus payment? Yes. Will eligible unemployed people get these stimulus payments? Veterans? Yes and yes. Will U.S. citizens living abroad get a payment? Yes, as long as they meet the income requirements and have a Social Security number. Do I have to pay income taxes on the amount of my payment? ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story No. If my income tax refunds are currently being garnished because of a student loan default, will this payment be garnished as well? No. In fact, the bill temporarily suspends nearly all efforts to garnish tax refunds to repay debts, including those to the I.R.S. itself. But this waiver may not apply to people who are behind on child support. Unemployment Benefits Who will be covered by the expanded program? The plan wraps in far more workers than are usually eligible for unemployment benefits, including self-employed people and part-time workers. The bottom line: Those who are unemployed, are partly unemployed or cannot work for a wide variety of coronavirus-related reasons will be more likely to receive benefits. How much will I receive? It depends on your state. Benefits will be expanded in an attempt to replace the average worker’s paycheck, explained Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a public policy research group. The average worker earns about $1,000 a week, and unemployment benefits often replace roughly 40 to 45 percent of that. The expansion will pay an extra amount to fill the gap. Under the plan, eligible workers will get an extra $600 per week on top of their state benefit. But some states are more generous than others. According to the Century Foundation, the maximum weekly benefit in Alabama is $275, but it’s $450 in California and $713 in New Jersey. So let’s say a worker was making $1,100 per week in New York; she’d be eligible for the maximum state unemployment benefit of $504 per week. Under the new expansion, she gets an additional $600 of federal pandemic unemployment compensation, for a total of $1,104, essentially replacing her original paycheck. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story States have the option of providing the entire amount in one payment, or sending the extra portion separately. But it must all be done on the same weekly basis. Are gig workers, freelancers and independent contractors covered? Yes, self-employed people are newly eligible for unemployment benefits. Benefit amounts will be calculated based on previous income, using a formula from the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, according to a congressional aide. Self-employed workers will also be eligible for the additional $600 weekly benefit provided by the federal government. What if I’m a part-time worker who lost my job because of a coronavirus reason, but my state doesn’t cover part-time workers? Am I still eligible? Yes. Part-time workers are eligible for benefits, but the benefit amount and how long benefits will last depend on your state. They are also eligible for the additional $600 weekly benefit. What if I have Covid-19 or need to care for a family member who has it? If you’ve received a diagnosis, are experiencing symptoms or are seeking a diagnosis — and you’re unemployed, partly unemployed or cannot work as a result — you will be covered. The same goes if you must care for a member of your family or household who has received a diagnosis. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story What if my child’s school or day care shut down? If you rely on a school, a day care or another facility to care for a child, elderly parent or another household member so that you can work — and that facility has been shut down because of coronavirus — you are eligible. Sign up to receive our daily Coronavirus Briefing, an informed guide with the latest developments and expert advice. Sign Up What if I’ve been advised by a health care provider to quarantine myself because of exposure to coronavirus? And what about broader orders to stay home? People who must self-quarantine are covered. The legislation also says that individuals who are unable to get to work because of a quarantine imposed as a result of the outbreak are eligible. I was about to start a new job and now can’t get there because of an outbreak. You’re eligible for benefits. You will also be covered if you were immediately laid off from a new job and did not have a sufficient work history to qualify for benefits under normal circumstances. I had to quit my job as a direct result of coronavirus. Would I be eligible to apply for benefits? It depends. Let’s say your employer didn’t lay you off but you had to quit because of a quarantine recommended by a health care provider, or because your child’s day care closed and you’re the primary caregiver. Situations like that are covered. But this provision wasn’t intended to cover people who quit (or want to quit) because they fear that continuing to work puts them at risk of contracting coronavirus, according to congressional aides. My employer shut down my workplace because of coronavirus. Am I eligible? Yes. If you are unemployed, partly unemployed or unable to work because your employer closed down, you’re covered under the bill. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story The breadwinner of my household has died as a result of coronavirus. I relied on that person for income, and I’m not working. Is that covered? Yes. Whom does the bill leave out? Workers who are able to work from home, and those receiving paid sick leave or paid family leave are not covered. New entrants to the work force who cannot find jobs are also ineligible. How long will the payments last? Many states already provide 26 weeks of benefits, though some states have trimmed that back while others provide a sliding scale tied to unemployment levels. The bill provides all eligible workers with an additional 13 weeks. So participants in states with 26 weeks would be eligible for a total of 39 weeks. The total amount cannot exceed 39 weeks, but it may be shorter in certain states. The extra $600 payment will last for up to four months, covering weeks of unemployment ending July 31. How long would the broader program last? Expanded coverage would be available to workers who were newly eligible for unemployment benefits for weeks starting on Jan. 27, 2020, and through Dec. 31, 2020. I’m already receiving unemployment benefits. Will I receive any help? Yes. Even if you’re already receiving unemployment benefits for reasons unrelated to the coronavirus, your state-level benefits will still be extended by 13 weeks. You will also receive the extra $600 weekly benefit from the federal government. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story My unemployment recently ran out — could I sign up again? Yes. If you’ve exhausted your benefits, eligible workers can generally reapply. But how much you get and for how long depends on the state where you worked. Everyone gets at least another 13 weeks, along with the extra $600 payment. Will this income disqualify me from any other programs? Maybe. The additional $600 benefit counts as income when determining eligibility for means-tested programs, except for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP. How long will I need to wait for benefits? States have been incentivized to waive the one-week waiting period, but it’s unclear how long it will take to process claims — especially with state offices so strained by a flood of them. Student Loans The federal government has already waived two months of payments and interest for many federal student loan borrowers. Is there a bigger break now with the new bill? Yes. Until Sept. 30, there will be automatic payment suspensions for any student loan held by the federal government. It is hard to contact many of the loan servicers right now, so check your account online in the coming weeks. Once you are logged in, look for the current amount due. There, you should be able to see if the servicer has reset its billing systems so that you are showing no payment due. How do I know if my loan is eligible? If you’ve borrowed money from the federal government — a so-called direct loan — in the past 10 years, you’re definitely eligible. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, 90 percent of loans (in dollar terms) will be eligible. Older Federal Family Educational Loans (F.F.E.L.) that the U.S. Department of Education does not own are not eligible, nor are Perkins loans, loans from state agencies, or loans from private lenders like Discover, Sallie Mae and Wells Fargo. The holders of all those kinds of loans may be offering their own assistance programs. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Within a few weeks, you are supposed to receive notice indicating what has happened with your federal loans. You can choose to keep paying down your principal if you want. Then, after Aug. 1, you should get multiple notices letting you know about the cessation of the suspension period and that you may be eligible to enroll in an income-driven repayment plan. Will my loan servicer charge me interest during the six-month period? The bill says that interest “shall not accrue” on the loan during the suspension period. At the end of the suspension, keep a close eye on what your loan servicer does (or does not do) to put you back into your previous repayment mode. Servicer errors are common. Will the six-month suspension cost me money, since I’m trying to qualify for the public service loan forgiveness program by making 120 monthly payments? No. The legislation says that your payment count will still go up by one payment each month during the six-month suspension, even though you will not actually be making any payments. This is true for all forgiveness or loan-rehabilitation programs. Is wage garnishment that resulted from being behind on my loan payments suspended during this six-month period? Yes. So is the seizure of tax refunds, the reduction of any other federal benefit payments and other involuntary collection efforts. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Are there changes to the rules if my employer repays some of my student loans? Yes. Some employers do this as an employee benefit. Between the date the bill is signed and the end of 2020, they can offer up to $5,250 of assistance without that money counting as part of the employee’s income. If the employer pays tuition for classes an employee is taking, that money will also count toward the $5,250. Retirement Accounts Which retirement account rules are suspended? For the calendar year 2020, no one will have to take a required minimum distribution from any individual retirement accounts or workplace retirement savings plans, like a 401(k). That way, you aren’t forced to sell investments that may have fallen in value, which would lock in losses. If you don’t need the money now, you can let the investments sit and hope that they recover. This change would not affect old-fashioned pensions. What if I have to take money out of my I.R.A. or workplace retirement plan early? You can withdraw up to $100,000 this year without the usual 10 percent penalty, as long as it’s because of the outbreak. You will also be able to spread out any income taxes that you owe over three years from the date you took the distribution. And if you want, you could put the money back into the account before those three years are up, even though the rules may normally keep you from making a contribution that large. This exception applies only to coronavirus-related withdrawals. You qualify if you tested positive, a spouse or dependent did or you experienced a variety of other negative economic consequences related to the pandemic. Employers can allow workers to self-certify that they are qualified to pull money from a workplace retirement account. Can I still borrow from my 401(k) or other workplace retirement plan? Yes, and you can take out twice the usual amount. For 180 days after the bill passes, with certification that you’ve been affected by the pandemic, you’ll be able to take out a loan of up to $100,000. Usually you can’t take out more than half your balance, but that rule is suspended. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story If you already have a loan and were supposed to finish repaying it before Dec. 31, you get an extra year. Charitable Contributions I want to help people who are suffering from the pandemic. Does the bill do anything about charitable donations? Yes. The bill makes a new deduction available — and not just for 2020 — for up to $300 in annual charitable contributions. It’s available only to people who don’t itemize their deductions, and you calculate this new one by subtracting the amount you give from your gross income. To qualify, you have to give cash to a qualified charity and not to a donor-advised fund, which is a charitable account that affluent people often use to bunch contributions in a particular year in order to maximize deductions. If you’ve already given money since Jan. 1, that contribution counts toward the $300 cap. I am lucky to have substantial wealth, and I want to give more to charity than I usually do. Have the limits on charitable deductions changed? Yes, they have. As part of the bill, donors can deduct 100 percent of their gift against their 2020 adjusted gross income. If you have $1 million of income, you can give $1 million to a public charity and deduct the full amount in 2020. The new deduction is only for cash gifts that go to a public charity. If you give cash to, say, your private foundation, the old deduction rules apply. And while the organizations that manage donor-advised funds are public charities, you do not get the higher deduction for donating cash to your donor-advised fund. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story If your assets are substantial enough that you can give more than your income this year, you won’t lose the deduction for the excess amount. You can use it next year, as has always been the case. Other Features of the Bill Will there be damage to my credit report if I take advantage of any virus-related payment relief, including the student loan suspension? No. There is not supposed to be, at least. The bill states that during the period beginning on Jan. 31 and continuing 120 days after the cessation of the national emergency declaration, lenders and others should mark your credit file as current, even if you avail yourself of payment modifications. If you had black marks in your file before the virus hit, those will remain unless you fix the issues during the emergency period. Credit reporting agencies can make errors. Be sure to check your credit report a few times each year, especially if you accept any help from any financial institution or biller this year. Is there any relief for renters in the bill? Yes. The bill puts a temporary, nationwide eviction moratorium in place for any renters whose landlords have mortgages backed or owned by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other federal entities. This will last for 120 days after the bill passes, and landlords also can’t charge any fees or penalties for nonpayment of rent. Does this bill change any rules for health savings accounts and health care flexible spending accounts? ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Yes. Menstrual products are now eligible for reimbursement after at least 15 years of lobbying and debate. Did the legislation make it illegal for any internet provider to cut off service to an individual or small business that can’t pay its bills? No. Did the legislation make it illegal for utility providers to cut off service? No. Edited March 28, 2020 by Mike J 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hk blues Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 Interesting to see how the US are providing direct support to individuals on a level basis whilst the UK are choosing to subsidise salaries on a variable basis. I wonder which one the Philippines gov.will go with? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post GeoffH Posted March 28, 2020 Popular Post Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) 12 minutes ago, hk blues said: Interesting to see how the US are providing direct support to individuals on a level basis whilst the UK are choosing to subsidise salaries on a variable basis. I wonder which one the Philippines gov.will go with? Different countries are doing different things... Australia has chosen to double the amount of the unemployment benefit (yes a 100% increase, reduce to the waiting period to 1 week, remove the asset test provision and provide a $750 one off cash payment on top of that). I'm guessing that the Philippines will implement 'Food package' support, but I worry that it won't be enough or get to enough people. Edited March 28, 2020 by GeoffH 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intrepid Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 11 minutes ago, GeoffH said: I'm guessing that the Philippines will implement 'Food package' support, but I worry that it won't be enough or get to enough people I saw something on ABSCBN last week that trike & Jeepney drivers will receive P5000 to help them. Not sure if this was nation wide or just certain areas. Already the local governments have been passing out some food supplies and rice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 12 minutes ago, GeoffH said: I'm guessing that the Philippines will implement 'Food package' support, but I worry that it won't be enough or get to enough people. It takes longer to get these out because you have to get the images of a few local politicians printed on the handout bags before distribution. 1 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arizona Kid Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 5 hours ago, roddavis said: If you have not heard for Americans, the money(stimulus checks/deposit) for the Corvid-19 problems has been approved by Congress. If you are retired and getting Soc. Security, you should see some money soon! $1200 for yourself and another $1200 for the wife if she has a SSN #. Also $500 per child under 17. I wanted to list it here to track when and if we receive it here in the Phils. It is estimated to be sent direct deposit around Apr 6. If the IRS has your bank info from 2018/2019 tax filings or from your SSA 1099 retirement, it should show in your bank acct then. I don't know about you, but an extra $2400 would do me fine. I would probably have to use most for BI for late visa extension here when the quarantine passes here in PI. There is still time to file an online 2019 tax form if you haven't filed yet! Its important that IRS see not only you, but wife and child are claimed. I don't think they will see wife/child just from your SSA1099 statement. I tried earlier to file online with TurboTax but if you are just getting Social Security benefits and nothing else, the program fails and you have to file a paper form( takes too much time/expense). Normally just getting SS, there is no need to file taxes statement, you don't make enough. Problem with the online and windows version is looking for an AGI that is not zero. If you just say you won a lottery for lets say $50, the is not an AGI that is not blank or zero, the program works and you still won't pay additional taxes. So important you get your taxes done like right now online or else you may not get all the amount due (for wife/child). Like I said, IRS will be sending it out in about 3 weeks! https://us.yahoo.com/finance/m/ec206692-1c6e-3743-864b-be999b7897dd/i’m-retired-and-claim-social.html Don't remember where I read it, but they were also considering an extra 200 bucks added to your social security check. Might be fake news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arizona Kid Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 4 hours ago, Heeb said: I think there's a flaw in the qualification for the payments, they are going to use 2019 tax returns which is income for 2018, what if a single person was making more than 75k in 2018 but lost his job or retired at a much lower rate, in this case they wouldn't qualify for the full amount or wouldn't get anything at all if they made over 99k, is there something wrong with my logic here. It's a quagmire. As long as they send me my share I will consider it a job well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hk blues Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 28 minutes ago, GeoffH said: Different countries are doing different things... Australia has chosen to double the amount of the unemployment benefit (yes a 100% increase, reduce to the waiting period to 1 week, remove the asset test provision and provide a $750 one off cash payment on top of that). I'm guessing that the Philippines will implement 'Food package' support, but I worry that it won't be enough or get to enough people. Indeed. I actually like the UK approach - 80% of salary subsidised to save jobs. The US approach is one I've experienced before in Hong Kong, it's not entirely effective for many reasons, including it being paid to all citizens many of whom are not going to put it back into the economy of the U.S. As for here, I'd keep it simple and make a weekly payment in vouchers that can be used in certain places. Would it stop corruption - nope. But it would reduce it a little. It's a pity that everything here has to be done with a view to how to minimise corruption but... If this continues for any length of time we may begin to understand why so many locals have developed their philosophical approach to life. Some guys I chat with in the UK say that a lockdown of 3 months or more is not beyond the realms of probability - could we survive that here? Could they survive that there? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddavis Posted March 28, 2020 Author Posted March 28, 2020 10 minutes ago, Arizona Kid said: Don't remember where I read it, but they were also considering an extra 200 bucks added to your social security check. Might be fake news. AZ...it was one of the options ($200/months for 2 years), but the Republicans voted that down so now not going to happen! That would have been nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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