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Finance urged not to withhold rebate checks for tax arrears
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Posted on May 20 2008
The Department of Finance has been urged to release taxpayers’ economic stimulus rebate checks without withholding any amount owed the government for tax arrears.
Representatives Ray N. Yumul and David Apatang made this call in a resolution they proposed yesterday. The resolution was prompted by “reports” that the Finance Department may withhold certain taxpayers’ economic stimulus rebate checks to offset any amount owed to the Commonwealth government.
But press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the Finance Department—“to my knowledge”—has no such plans. “That is an issue in Guam, but not here. I’m not sure we have the authority to do that even if we wanted to,” he said.
Under Economic Stimulus Act, U.S. taxpayers would get checks of several hundred dollars from the federal government to stimulate the economy. The CNMI government received approximately $16 million pursuant to the law. The Finance Department is preparing to disburse the money to taxpayers in the commonwealth. The checks are expected to be out before the end of this month.
Yumul and Apatang said the taxpayers should get their rebate checks without any deductions for taxes owed.
“It is the responsibility of the Department of Finance to collect all taxes due to the Commonwealth government, however, the intention behind the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 is to stimulate the federal, state, and local economies,” the pair said.
They added that the rebate checks would help local taxpayers with the rising electric rates and fuel prices.
