- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a COVID-19 relief bill into law on Tuesday that provides $600 stimulus checks to 5.7 million lower-income Californians.
- Households that receive California’s EITC and taxpayers with ITINs who didn’t receive federal stimulus checks are eligible for the payments.
- Governor Newsom says Californians will receive their payments shortly after filing their taxes.
By the end of the week, the House is planning to vote on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, bringing us one step closer to a new round of $1,400 stimulus checks. After that, it will go to the Senate, and providing all 50 Democrats are in favor of the bill, it will make its way to Biden’s desk. The federal unemployment benefits of the previous relief package expire on March 14th, which is why Democrats are in such a rush to have the bill signed into law as quickly as possible, but some states aren’t waiting for the federal government’s help.
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $9.6 billion relief package of his own that would, among other things, send out $600 direct payments to lower-income Californians and those who were “unfairly excluded from previous federal stimulus payments.” This Tuesday, he signed that bill into law.
As the governor’s site explains, the package includes 5.7 million stimulus checks to eligible residents of California. In addition to sending one-time $600 payments to households receiving the California Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for 2020, taxpayers with Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs) who didn’t receive $1,200 stimulus checks last spring or $600 federal payments earlier this year will also get $600 payments from the state. Furthermore, any ITIN taxpayers who also qualify for the California EITC will receive a total of $1,200.
Newsom says that Californians will receive their payments shortly after filing their 2020 tax returns, so if you reside in California and qualify for the payment, you might want to file your taxes sooner rather than later. That said, your 2020 tax return could end up affecting your $1,400 stimulus check from the federal government as well, so be sure to read up on how your taxes could change the amount of your check before you file this year.
Other provisions in the legislation include $2.1 billion in grants for small businesses, fee waivers for bars and restaurants, stipends for child care, and financial aid for college students.
“As millions of Californians are struggling to make ends meet amid the devastating impacts of this pandemic, we are taking immediate action in partnership with our legislative leadership to provide families and businesses the relief they need,” said Governor Newsom. “This critical assistance – including child care, relief for small business owners, direct cash support to individuals and households, financial aid for community college students and more – will help keep our communities afloat as the state continues to confront the immense challenges of this moment.”
