WASHINGTON – Following calls from Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the Treasury Department announced it would follow the CARES Act law and ensure that all Arizona Social Security beneficiaries will automatically receive the direct assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns.
“The coronavirus relief package made clear that Arizona seniors receiving Social Security benefits would receive their direct cash assistance without filing taxes. The IRS was right to reverse course, and I’ll continue ensuring the federal government follows the law so Arizonans get the support they need during this public health crisis,” said Sinema.
The CARES Act ensured the Treasury Department had the authority to send automatic direct cash assistance to Social Security beneficiaries regardless of whether they file taxes, but recently the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released contradictory guidance earlier this week stating that Social Security beneficiaries would need to file tax returns in order to receive direct payments. Following calls from Sinema and 41 of her Senate colleagues, the Treasury Department reversed course and announced that Social Security recipients will automatically receive direct cash assistance included in the CARES Act without having to file tax returns.
Sinema has also added a resources page to her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for the latest information on coronavirus.
