By Eric Rosario
(Tamuning, Guam) Another 20,000 economic impact payments to qualified tax payers was processed last night by the Department of Revenue and Taxation, and will be mailed this afternoon by the Department of Administration.
This brings the total of federal cash assistance checks processed to 40,000 amounting to $75.9 million in $1,200, $2,400, and $500 payments to qualified single filers, joint filers, and their children.
Payments will be based on validly filed and processed 2019 Guam Individual Income Tax Returns, and if an individual has not filed a 2019 Guam Individual Income Tax Return or if filed and Guam DRT has not processed the individual’s 2019 Guam Individual Income Tax Return at the time of certification of EIP to be paid, but has a validly filed and processed 2018 Guam Individual Income Tax Return, then Guam DRT shall determine based on validly filed and processed 2018 Guam Individual Income Tax Return.
Residents of Guam should not use the non-filer portal on the IRS website. All Guam residents are required to file with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation. Congress funded the program on March 27. Guam Congressman Michael San Nicolas, vice chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, ensured Guam was included in the program under the federal CARES Act.
Part of the reason for the delay in paying qualified Guam residents was the need to reconcile the federal paychecks against a local advance program Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero issued for residents with 2018 income of less than $10,000.
DRT director Dafne Shimizu was in tears today as she spoke to Kandit News Group about her gratitude for her staff at the agency, who have worked over the past week and through the weekend to hurry the processing of the checks. She said she feels the struggle of so many depending on her agency to get these payments out, and that nothing at this time fills her with more joy than getting this done.
While previous governors have detailed staff from other agencies and the Governor's Office to assist with hurried processing of returns in the past, Ms. Leon Guerrero has instead detailed staffers and cabinet members to assist with hotel quarantine and isolation programs. DRT employees have had to process the checks on their own.
