This week, almost 300,000 low-wage employees in Massachusetts will start getting their second wave of stimulus checks.
As part of the Baker administration’s COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium program, the $500 payments were set to be paid out starting Monday. The first wave of these payments was revealed in February and dispersed in March to around 480,000 persons. In June, an additional $165 million in relief assistance will be made available to an estimated 330,000 people who are qualified. The Baker administration will use 2021 tax returns to determine eligibility for the program’s second phase. Individuals who earn at least $13.5 K and have a total income of less than 300% of the national poverty limit are eligible, according to authorities.
Check If You Are Eligible For Stimulus Check
For a single filer, this amounts to a maximum income of $38,640. For a household of two, the maximum threshold is $52,260; for a household of three, $65,880; for a household of four, $79,500; for a household of five, $93,120; for a household of six, $106,740; for a household of seven, $120,360; and for a household of eight, $133,980.
According to the program’s website, the stimulus checks are not liable to state tax, but they may be liable to federal income tax.
That amount is $38,640 for a one-person household and up to $79,500 for a family of four. Those who got a payout in the first round or who earned unemployment benefits in 2021 are ineligible for the second round. Employees of the Massachusetts executive branch who got a one-time COVID-related compensation from the state are disqualified as well.
The first set of Stimulus Checks was based on state tax filings from 2020 and met similar conditions.
