Democrats Abroad has written to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Rettig yet again to report problems being experienced by Americans abroad accessing coronavirus aid and making recommendations for improvement. Download our letter here.
Whilst CARES Act aid is starting to arrive in the mailboxes of some fortunate Americans abroad, the vast majority of eligible Economic Impact Payment (EIPs) recipients living abroad are still waiting.
Americans with non-U.S. residential addresses were never able to use the IRS online tools to built to expedite the delivery of EIPs. First the Get My Payment system (and the Non-Filer system as well) blocked access to Americans with non-U.S. residential addresses. Then when it became accessible, it told them that their payments had already been sent by check. If they had been able to access the system earlier then they may have been able to provide a U.S. bank account. Because the Get My Payment system (and the Non-Filer system) was never adapted to accommodate accounts in non-U.S. banks, Americans abroad with no U.S. bank account could not request that their EIP be direct deposited in their local bank account. It is no exaggeration to say that, thus far, the IRS tools for expediting the delivery of CARES Act aid have largely failed Americans abroad.
Democrats Abroad has not given up the fight to get better support for Americans abroad from the U.S. government at this critical time. Please see our letter to Secy Mnuchin and Commissioner Rettig which outlines a range of problems with the pandemic aid delivery experienced by Americans abroad and recommendations for improvements.
House Democrats have introduced a bill proposing a fourth major COVID-19 Pandemic aid package, the HEROES Act. Although there appears no support whatever from Senate Republicans for the package, it is worth noting that the bill will offer a fresh round of $1,200 direct cash aid to individuals, increased to up to $6,000 per household. We anticipate that Americans abroad eligible for CARES Act aid will also be eligible for HEROES Act aid. It is worthwhile, therefore, pushing for improvements to IRS aid delivery, outreach and communications for Americans abroad.
DEMOCRATS ABROAD TAXATION TASK FORCE