Coronavirus relief checks won’t have to be repaid, feds say

By AMANDA SEITZ

CHICAGO (AP) — Videos and online reports claiming that millions of Americans will have to repay the relief checks they receive from the federal government under the $2.2 trillion coronavirus economic recovery bill are not true.

The government began issuing the one-time payments this week. Most adults who earned up to $75,000 will see a $1,200 payout, while married couples who made up to $150,000 can expect to get $2,400. Parents will get payments of $500 per child. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households, depending on how you’ve filed your tax returns in the past.

In recent days, social media posts have falsely claimed there’s one catch to this money — that you’ll eventually have to pay it back.

“Next year, you’re automatically going to owe $1,200 come tax season,” one of the videos, viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, falsely claims. The video has also been shared widely on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, which are working to deliver the money to people, confirmed to The Associated Press that households will not have to pay back the money in next year’s tax filing.

“This is not an advance and there is absolutely no obligation to pay it back,” Treasury spokeswoman Patricia McLaughlin said in an email.