Don’t miss out on your stimulus check and protect yourself from scams: Maine announces tax return filing deadline for 2021

Maine residents who have not filed a 2021 state income tax return by October 31, 2022, will no longer be eligible to receive a stimulus check. Lower-income families may be unreasonably affected by this, as they may be less likely to file tax returns and miss out on stimulus payments and other tax benefits. However, it may still be worth filing a 2021 return in order to claim other state tax benefits, such as property tax and sales tax fairness credits, according to Forbes on November 15, 2022.

If you filed your tax return on time but haven’t received a relief check yet, make sure your address is correct. The payment will be sent to the address listed on your 2021 Maine individual income tax return and forwarded to any forwarding addresses on file with the USPS.

Some Maine residents have been targeted by stimulus check scams during the pandemic, with scammers posing as “Maine IRS” agents. The Maine IRS will not contact taxpayers about their state stimulus payments. The IRS will never request personal or financial information via email, text, or social media, and errors in communication should be considered red flags for fraud.

Additionally, state-sponsored payments for Maine residents are unlikely in the future, according to the Maine Center for Economic Policy. The stimulus check was used to balance the state budget and included initiatives such as tax breaks for retirement pensioners, increased property tax fairness credit, free community college for pandemic-affected students, and a refundable tax credit for student loan debt relief. according to the Office of Governor Janet T. Mills on November 1, 2022,

The state of Maine has permanently doubled its earned income tax credit (EITC) and set aside funding for a free tax preparation site to help residents access these benefits and avoid missing out on future payments. You can check the status of your payment online through the Maine Revenue Services website and contact them for assistance if you have any questions or concerns.