Maine has been sending relief checks of $850 to eligible taxpayers for the past few months. To be eligible for the relief checks from Maine, residents must have filed their state income tax returns.

Though the 2021 Maine individual income tax filing deadline has passed, those who haven’t yet filed their tax return can still claim the relief check by filing their return by the end of this month.

Who Can Claim The Relief Checks?

Earlier this year, Governor Mills proposed a plan to send back more than half of the budget surplus to the taxpayers in the form of relief checks. The proposal later got the backing of the Legislature, and the checks started going out in June.

Gov. Mills’ office estimated that about 858,000 Maine residents could qualify for the relief checks, returning $729.3 million back to taxpayers in the form of $850 relief checks. The primary objective of the relief checks was to assist residents to alleviate the financial stress caused by inflation and the pandemic.

“The budgets of so many hardworking Maine people have been stretched to the brink by inflation, and while we cannot control inflation or global markets, we can make sure that Maine people have what they need to grapple with these rising costs,” Governor Mills said in a statement earlier.

Residents must have filed their state returns to be eligible for the relief checks from Maine. Further requirements are that the taxpayer must be a full-time Maine resident and must not file the return as dependents.

Also, the income of the single filers or married filing separately must be less than $100,000 per year, while for couples filing jointly, the income should be below $200,000 per year. For those filing as head of a household, the annual income should be less than $200,000.

Last Date To Claim Relief Checks From Maine

If you believe you meet the eligibility requirements, then you still have a few days to file the return to claim the relief check. Individuals must file their 2021 state income tax return by Oct. 31, 2022 to qualify for the relief check.

For more information on the relief check, visit Maine.gov/reliefcheck. You can also check the status of your payment at https://portal.maine.gov/refundstatus/payment.

As to when you could get the relief check, Maine is sending the payment on a rolling basis through the end of the year as returns are received.

Maine is sending the relief checks via U.S. Postal Service. The checks are being mailed to the address that the taxpayers provided on their state individual income tax return. If you want to update your mailing address, you need to contact Maine Revenue Services at (207) 624-9924.

This article originally appeared on ValueWalk

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