The US government has sent out millions of stimulus checks throughout the coronavirus pandemic due to the economic crisis, a benefit that has received not only people living in the country, but also Americans abroad.
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reported that it sent more than 3.7 million stimulus checks for US citizens living in other countries.
According to federal government figures, the IRS has sent nearly 4 million checks overseas worth 5.5 billion USD.
Among the beneficiaries are private citizens, even high-ranking military personnel and residents of US territories such as Puerto Rico, according to government information.
Figures show that between 0.7% and 0.8% of the budget for the three rounds of stimulus checks went to benefit 9 million Americans abroad. Two checks were approved during the administration of Donald Trump and one more during the term of Joe Biden.
“The amount of payments being sent abroad is less than 1% of the total. It wasn’t much when you look at it”Kyle Pomerleau, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said: CNBC.
It should be noted that most of these checks issued overseas by the IRS were “extra payments,” incentives that were part of the third check and were given to US citizens who received a lower payment on their 2019 tax return, but verified that they were creditors For a larger amount after the 2020 announcement.
“Whether American citizens live here or abroad is not an important distinction in the midst of a global pandemic,” Janet Holtzblatt, a senior researcher at the Urban Brookings Center for Tax Policy told CNBC.
“One view of these payments is that they were intended primarily to help taxpayers make ends meet, with any incentive as an ingredient in the pie,” Holtzblatt added.