The Internal Revenue Service announced that some college students could qualify for an Economic Impact Payment. This press release is part of the agency’s push to get all eligible non-filers to register for an EIP before the Nov. 21, 2020 deadline, and it comes days before National EIP Registration Day.
“In advance of the National EIP Registration Day on November 10 and highlighted in ‘A Closer Look,’ the IRS is reminding people who don’t normally file a tax return they may be able to register for an Economic Impact Payment with a quick visit to the Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov,” the IRS explains. “In particular, the IRS wants to remind self-supporting students with little or no income that they may be eligible for payments of $1,200 or more.”
Why do non-filers need to register to receive an Economic Impact Payment?
The IRS does not have EIP-qualifying information for Americans who do not make enough money to be required to file a tax return. To help these non-filers provide the information needed to receive a $1,200 payment, the agency developed an online EIP-registration tool.
How do self-supporting college students register for an Economic Impact Payment?
The IRS says that the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here online tool is now the only way for qualifying self-supporting college students and other non-filers to register for an EIP before the deadline on Nov. 21, 2020. To get started, visit IRS.gov/Coronavirus/Non-Filers-Enter-Payment-Info-Here.
Do all college students qualify to use the Non-Filers registration tool?
The IRS clarifies that not all college students qualify to use the Non-Filers registration tool. “Students who either need to or want to file a regular return should not use the Non-Filers tool,” the agency writes. “This includes, for example, any student who had federal income tax withheld from their pay and wants to file a return to claim a refund. The IRS reminds students who have summer jobs or part-time positions not to overlook filing a tax return so they can receive a potential federal tax refund.”
Additionally, students who can be claimed as a dependent do not qualify for an Economic Impact Payment.
Watch out for coronavirus and EIP text message scams!
As the IRS makes a final push to help eligible non-filers get an EIP ahead of the deadline, identity thieves are also paying close attention. The agency and its Security Summit partners this week warned about a new text message-based phishing scam.
The phishing text messages impersonate state tax agencies and tax relief organizations, and they often contain a link to a phishing website that is designed to steal your bank account information. To learn more about the latest phishing scam, check out “Security Summit Warning: Taxpayers Receiving EIP Text Message Scam” on Taxing Subjects.
Source: IR-2020-250