About the payments
Oregon will provide a one-time payment to families and individuals who qualify. This is a one-time $600 payment per tax return. Oregon households will receive this payment if they received the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their 2020 tax filing and lived in Oregon the last six months of 2020.
For purposes of this payment, a household is a single individual, or spouses, domestic partners, or a parent and child under 18 years old who live together, along with other individuals for whom the single individual, spouse, domestic partner, or parent is financially responsible.
The one-time payments aim to:
- Support low income Oregonians.
- Help those facing a hardship due to COVID-19.
Getting started
For most Oregon households who qualify, you don’t need to do anything to receive the one-time payment.
The payment will be made by direct deposit or check in the mail. Typically, you will receive this payment using the refund option you selected on your tax return. If you received an advanced refund through your tax service provider, or paid your tax preparation fees using your refund, you’ll receive your payment by check in the mail. All direct deposits will be made and checks will be mailed by July 1, 2022.
Frequently asked questions
ABOUT THE PAYMENTS
1) Q: What are the one-time assistance payments?
A: House Bill 4157 (2022) directs the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) to address negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing one-time assistance payments to low-income households who received the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for the 2020 tax year.
2) Q: How much are the payments?
A: Eligible households that received EITC for the 2020 tax year will receive a $600 payment by direct deposit or by check.
3) Q: How many taxpayers will receive payments?
A: DOR estimates that about 236,000 households will be eligible for payments.
4) Q: Where is the money coming from?
A: The payments are expected to amount to nearly $142 million, paid from federal pandemic aid approved by Congress in 2021.
ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATIONS
5) Q: Who is eligible to receive the one-time assistance payments?
A: You may receive this payment if you received the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on your 2020 tax filing.
6) Q: What is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?
A: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax benefit. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe – and maybe increase your refund. Information is available at this IRS Web site. The Oregon EITC is a percentage of the federal credit.
7) Q: What do I need to do to get a payment?
A: If you filed your 2020 tax return by December 31, 2021 and received EITC, you don’t need to do anything. You will receive your payment by direct deposit or check.
8) Q: How can I find out if I received the Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit?
A: The Oregon Earned Income Tax Credit was claimed on line 33 of Form OR-40, line 59 of Form OR-40-N, or line 58 of Form OR-40-P.
GETTING YOUR PAYMENT
9) Q: When will the payments be issued?
A: House Bill 4157 (2022) directs DOR to make the payments by July 31, 2022. All direct deposits will be made and checks will be mailed by July 1, 2022.
10) Q: What bank account or mailing information will DOR use?
A: DOR will use the same information provided on the most recently filed tax returns.
11) Q: What if I didn’t claim EITC on my 2020 tax return but I’m eligible?
A: If you filed your return by December 31, 2021, you must have filed an amended return for 2020 by April 15, 2022 to claim the EITC. If you missed the deadline to amend your return, you will not receive a one-time payment. However, you can still amend your federal and Oregon return to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.
12) Q: What if my 2020 refund went to a refund anticipation account?
A: Typically, you’ll receive this payment using the refund option you selected on your tax return. If you received an advanced refund through your tax service provider, or paid your tax preparation fees using your refund, you’ll receive your payment by check in the mail.
13) Q: What if I closed the bank account I used on the most recently filed return?
A: If your direct deposit is returned because your account is closed, you will receive your payment by check in the mail.
14) Q: What if I was single in 2020 and received EITC. Does this count as a household?
A: For purposes of this payment, a household is a single individual, or spouses, domestic partners, or a parent and child under 18 years old who live together, along with other individuals for whom the single individual, spouse, domestic partner, or parent is financially responsible.
15) Q: What if I filed a joint return for the 2020 tax year and received EITC but I’m now divorced or separated?
A: Both spouses’ names will be on the check that is sent to the most recent address of the first person listed on the joint 2020 return. DOR will not issue multiple checks to separate households.
16) Q: What if I owe money to the state of Oregon or the federal government?
A: Payments will not be reduced if a household owes money to the state or federal government.
17) Q: Do I have to pay tax on the OTAP payment when I file my 2022 tax return?
A: No. The payments are not taxable for Oregon.
18) Q: What about part-year residents?
A: Part-year resident filers will receive a payment if at least one member of the household listed on the return resided in Oregon for at least the last half of 2020 and continued to reside in Oregon when the 2020 return was filed in 2021.
19) Q: What about nonresidents?
A: Nonresident filers will qualify to receive a payment if at least one member of the household listed on the return resided in Oregon for at least the last half of 2020 and continued to reside in Oregon when the 2020 return was filed in 2021. Contact us and we’ll review your account to see if you are eligible.
CONCERNS WITH YOUR PAYMENT
20) Q: What do I do if I moved?
A: If you recently moved and your payment hasn’t been forwarded to you by July 31, 2022, contact us to reissue your payment.
21) Q: What do I do if a payment is lost or destroyed?
A: Contact us to reissue your payment.
22) Q: What do I do if I received a payment in error or I don’t want to accept a payment?
A: Contact us for instructions to return your payment.
23) Q: What do I do if I think I qualify, but I haven’t received a payment?
A: Contact us and we’ll review your account to see if you are eligible.
Contact ODR at
Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222
Asistencia disponible en español
TTY: We accept all relay calls.
Email: onetime.assistance@dor.oregon.gov
Open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Phones lines are closed 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays and on holidays.
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