Tax Policy Observations Of COVID-19 Legislation

The FFCRA and CARES Act enacted in March 2020 and CAA-21 enacted Dec. 27, 2020 provide a variety of financial relief to individuals and small businesses. The recovery rebates (called “economic impact payments” by the IRS) in the CARES act ($1,200 per adult and $500 for child under age 17) helped over 160 million people. The $600 payments in CAA-21 should help a similar number.

Is that the best way to help? There was also increased and longer payments of unemployment compensation to clearly help those who lost their jobs. There were changes to allow those with sufficient retirements accounts to pull out up to $100,000 without penalty and even to pick it up into income over three years as well as to pay it back.

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