An Act Relative to Providing Equal Stimulus Checks to Immigrant Taxpayers

The CARES Act, a recovery act that Congress recently passed, provides much-needed stimulus checks for most American taxpayers. But it excludes taxpayers who file with an ITIN rather than a Social Security Number. These mostly immigrant families have paid the same share of income taxes as those with social security numbers and deserve the same assistance.  Moreover, stimulus payments to immigrant workers and entrepreneurs, including those without SSNs, would, like payments to other taxpayers, benefit the Massachusetts economy as a whole.


This bill, An Act Relative to Providing Equal Stimulus Checks to Immigrant Taxpayers, would do the following:

  • Direct the Department of Revenue to provide a stimulus check to ITIN taxpayers that is equal to the stimulus checks provided under the CARES Act· 

  • Set the amount of the credit (generally $2400 for joint filers, $1200 for individual filers and $500 per child) to mirror the CARES Act provisions.

  • Facilitate taxpayers receiving the funds quickly by providing the “stimulus check” in the form of a direct deposit when possible.

  • Provide $10 million to immigrant aid organizations.