President Biden released his “American Rescue Plan” on January 14. It is a wish list of proposals he wants Congress to enact to address the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis. While some of the proposals are intended to be in effect for just one year, it isn’t too great a stretch of the imagination that these could later be extended or made permanent, as many of them have been on the Democrats’ agenda for some time. The anticipated cost of the American Rescue Plan, if all of the proposals are agreed to by Congress, is $1.9 trillion. None of Biden’s proposals are revenue raisers, and according to a January 15, 2021 Wall Street Journal report, he intends to use government borrowing to pay for his plan. Following are some of the tax-related proposals.
Stimulus (Economic Impact) Payments: Biden’s plan requests that Congress provide an additional stimulus payment of $1,400 to qualified lower income households. Combined with the $600 that Congress authorized in December legislation, this will bring the latest total direct assistance to $2,000 per person. The prior stimulus distributions included stipends for dependent children under the age of 17, whereas the proposed payments will be provided for all dependents regardless of age.
So far, the payments have counted as advances toward a 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. This is so even for the second round of payments that didn’t reach recipients until early January 2021. Individuals will need to reconcile the payments they received and the credits they are entitled to on their 2020 returns. Whether the proposed additional payments will be considered part of the 2020 credit (which could delay some 2020 return filings) or as an advance toward a new 2021 credit will need to be clarified in the legislation.
Unemployment Compensation: This part of the plan requests that Congress provide a $400-per-week unemployment insurance supplement through September 2021, and extend the unemployment benefits to self-employed workers such as ride-share drivers and many grocery delivery workers, who do not typically qualify for regular unemployment compensation. Presumably, the $400-per-week enhancement would be in lieu of the $300-per-week benefit passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020. In any event, the unemployment benefits are taxable income for federal purposes; most states also tax this income, but a few do not.
Raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Education Assistance: The CARES Act, passed in late March 2020, included a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that provides funding to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency financial aid grants to students are nontaxable and can be used for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care). Biden’s proposal would increase funding for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, including providing college and university students with up to an additional $1,700 in financial assistance from their institutions.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act: This part of the American Rescue Plan requests that Congress fund an extension of sick leave through September 30, 2021, which would provide over 14 weeks (up from 12) of paid sick and family and medical leave to help parents with additional caregiving responsibilities when a child or loved one’s school or care center is closed; for people who have or are caring for people with COVID-19 symptoms, or who are quarantining due to exposure; and for people needing to take time to get the vaccine. The maximum payment would be increased from $1,000 per week to $1,400 per week.
Under Biden’s plan, the exemptions for businesses with over 500 employees and those with fewer than 50 employees would be eliminated, making the program mandatory for all sizes of businesses. The government will reimburse employers with fewer than 500 employees for 100% of the cost.
Increase the Child Care Tax Credit: Currently, a nonrefundable tax credit is available to some taxpayers for the expenses they incur for the care of a child, spouse, or other dependent while the taxpayer is gainfully employed (or is seeking a job). The maximum expenses that can be used to determine the credit are $3,000 for one child and $6,000 for two or more children. The credit rate ranges from 20% to 35% depending on income (the higher the income, the lower the credit rate).
Biden’s plan requests Congress to authorize an increase in the child care credit and make it refundable for one year. The credit would be a full 50% of the expenses, with maximum expenses of $4,000 for one child under age 13 and $8,000 for two or more children. The credit would be phased out when income ranges from $125,000 to $400,000.
Child Tax Credit: For years 2018 through 2025, the child tax credit is a maximum of $2,000 per dependent child under the age of 17. In some cases, up to $1,400 of the credit is refundable. The credit phases out when the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($400,000 for married joint filers). Biden is asking Congress, for a period of one year, to include children through age 17 in the credit and increase the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 ($3,600 for children under the age of 6).
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Childless adults are eligible for a lesser earned income tax credit amount than if they had a qualifying child. Biden’s plan requests that Congress make a one-year increase in the EITC for childless adults from roughly $530 to $1,500 and increase these individuals’ income limit for the credit from roughly $16,000 to $21,000. Biden also would also like Congress to eliminate the age cap so that older workers without a qualifying child can claim the credit (currently, a childless individual cannot claim the credit after reaching age 65).
Healthcare Coverage: Individuals who purchase their health insurance through the government marketplace may be eligible for a premium tax credit, with an advance premium tax credit (APTC) used to reduce monthly premiums, and the advance and actual credits reconciled on their income tax return each year. Biden’s plan asks Congress to increase the premium tax credit so that workers will pay no more than 8.5% of their income for coverage.
Although not tax-related, other issues in the plan affecting individuals include:
Evictions and Foreclosures: President-Elect Biden is calling on Congress to extend the eviction and foreclosure moratoriums and continue applications for forbearance on federally guaranteed mortgages until September 30, 2021, as well as to provide funds for legal assistance for households facing eviction or foreclosure.
Homelessness: The plan requests that Congress provide $5 billion to help secure housing for the approximately 200,000 individuals and families.
Remember, these are only Biden’s proposed changes; quite often, what Congress ends up passing is not the same as the originally proposed legislation. If you need assistance or have questions related to other tax issues, please give this office a call.