Colorado Tax Filers Will Receive $800 Stimulus Check This Year – Colorado residents could find a check for $800 in the mail by late summer, thanks to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). The plan was announced in late April by state legislators.
Governor Jared Polis announced that all tax filers in the state will receive the check, with single filers receiving $400 and joint filers getting $800.
The cash is taken from the state’s budget surplus.
Who Receives the Stimulus Check Refund?
Every taxpayer in the state will receive a stimulus check refund, but that doesn’t mean citizens receive it every year. The checks are only handed out when the state has a budget surplus and there is no reasonable way of spending the money to improve public services.
This year, Colorado has a larger-than-normal surplus. A refund check to state residents was approved in Senate Bill 233 which passed in late April.
There are no income thresholds that determine who does and does not receive a check, nor is there a sliding scale that changes the value of the check depending on income.
Recipients must also be full-time residents of Colorado.
A Compromise Deal
Democratic Governor Jared Polis reportedly pushed for every resident to receive the refund stimulus check, while progressive state legislators from his party pushed for the refund to be distributed to the lowest earners in the state.
“We found a good compromise to make sure we’re getting people the money they need a lot faster than they would have before,” Democratic Denver state Rep. Emily Sirota said.
Governor Polis said during a press conference that the plan will help residents pay for food, gas, and consumer goods as inflation continues to hurt Americans’ wallets.
“We know this last year has been difficult,” he said. “Rising prices, gas at $4 a gallon, groceries costing more…and rather than sitting on this money, we know $400 will help people now.”
How Will Residents Receive the Stimulus Check?
There is no reason to apply for the check as every resident qualifies to receive one. Checks are mailed directly to every eligible person.
Residents should ensure that they have filed their 2021 tax returns to ensure that they receive the check.
This year, TABOR refund will be issued six to nine months earlier than in the past.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
