By Johnnie Rosario
The Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation is preparing to administer the federal government's impending second stimulus payment program if and when Congress and the President approve it.
Barring a sudden upset, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to pass a Coronavirus rescue bill, injecting $900 billion into the U.S. economy. Senate leaders overcame their last major hurdle to accepting the aid bill over the weekend. President Trump has signaled his support of the measure.
Part of the rescue package includes a one-time stimulus payment of up to $600 per qualified adult and child. The program nearly will mirror the first stimulus program, which was called the Earned Income Payment, or EIP. The Washington Post this past weekend reported a key difference is that adult dependents, such as college students, now may qualify for this second round.
This second stimulus payment will be administered locally by Guam DRT, just as the EIP was.
"As with EIP and previous stimulus payments, there has to be discussion with the IRS and [U.S. Department of the} Treasury," DRT director Dafne Shimizu told Kandit News.
Congressman Michael San Nicolas has confirmed that Guam will be "proportionally included" in whatever the final federal rescue package looks like. Congressional leaders appear to be meeting their goal of authorizing the second stimulus, along with the extension and addition of $300 per week of unemployment before Christmas. Whether Guam will be ready to administer the payments by Christmas is another story.
"We have reached out to the IRS to meet regarding this," Ms. Shimizu said, in response to Kandit's question on whether it is conceivable DRT can disburse checks this week if the federal government approves the program and wires the cash by Wednesday.
