- About 12 million people could miss out on a stimulus check, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- The group includes a substantial number of Black and Latino people.
- "This group of non-filers eligible for payments are disproportionately people of color because they are likelier to have lower incomes due to historical racism and ongoing bias and discrimination," the report said.
Nearly 12 million people eligible for a $1,200 stimulus check could miss out on the federal cash because they must file a separate form to receive it, according to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank.
Those at risk of losing out on the money are low-income people who are not legally required to file a tax return, meaning they earn less than $12,200 a year and may lack an easy internet connection. The group includes a significant number of Latino and Black people.
"This group of non-filers eligible for payments are disproportionately people of color because they are likelier to have lower incomes due to historical racism and ongoing bias and discrimination," the report said.
The majority of stimulus-check recipients were able to get the money automatically because they filed their 2018 or 2019 taxes already.
For Americans who don't normally file taxes, the deadline to file a separate online form with the
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is urging states and local governments to step in and notify people about their stimulus-payment eligibility. The organization estimates about 9 million people collect Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or Medicaid benefits, which would indicate their information is already on file at state and local agencies.
Other non-filers such as Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries eventually received automatic payments, as the IRS used recipients' information already logged with other federal agencies to distribute the payments.
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Individuals earning less than $75,000 and couples making less than $150,000 qualify for a $1,200 payment, plus an additional $500 for each child younger than 17.