NJ Will Mail $500 Checks To Eligible NJ Residents This Month

A one-time benefit of $500 per eligible resident under the Taxpayer Identification Number Direct Assistance Program will be mailed this month to income-eligible NJ residents not eligible for federal stimulus payments.

New Jersey State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio and Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman today announced that a one-time benefit of $500 per eligible resident under the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Direct Assistance Program will be mailed this month to income-eligible New Jersey individuals and families who were not eligible for federal stimulus payments and file taxes using an ITIN.

Eligible individuals do not need to apply for this benefit. If a person’s tax filing meets the eligibility requirements, they will automatically be mailed a check from the State of New Jersey later this month.

Treasury’s Division of Taxation will be sending checks to the address used by the individual when they filed their 2021 taxes.

The Department of Human Services’ Office of New Americans has developed education and outreach materials and will be raising awareness about this benefit in partnership with Treasury.

“This program is designed to provide assistance to residents who work hard and pay taxes and were equally impacted by the pandemic, but have not received similar assistance from the federal government,” said State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio. “We are working hard with our partners at DHS to ensure this much-needed benefit reaches every eligible recipient, particularly those who may not owe taxes, but still need to file a 2021 return in order to receive this benefit.”

“Through this program, tens of thousands of households will benefit from this direct financial boost. Eligible residents can expect one-time financial support of up to $500 for each household member who has an ITIN and is listed on the resident’s tax return. Because this is a one-time benefit, it will not be considered under the public charge rule nor impact eligibility for public benefit programs, such as Medicaid, SNAP or TANF,” said Commissioner Adelman. “With the holidays approaching, we are glad to see this assistance go out to ITIN filers with low incomes this month.”

It is estimated that the program will provide assistance to over 68,000 households.

A person is eligible if they filed a New Jersey income tax return in 2021 using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and their household income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, according to the following guidelines:

Persons in Household

Maximum Income

$25,760

$34,840

$43,920

$53,000

$62,080

$71,160

$80,240

$89,320

Eligible households will receive $500 for every ITIN holder listed on the tax return. For example, if a married couple files a tax return jointly and claims two dependents, and all four of them have ITINs, they will receive a total of $2,000.

The Department of the Treasury is in the process of sending letters to individuals who did not file a New Jersey tax return for 2021, but may still be eligible for the payment based on their 2020 income tax return. These individuals can still file a 2021 return here if they have not done so already and payment will be calculated automatically for eligible ITIN holders after they have filed. They must file by April 15, 2023, in order to be eligible for this benefit.

The ITIN Direct Assistance Program is funded with American Rescue Plan dollars authorized in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

For more information, visit: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/taxation/itinfaq.shtml.

For questions, please call the Customer Service Center at 609-292-6400.