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Today's the deadline to use those California economic relief debit cards
After April 30, your card will no longer work anywhere, and you will no longer have access to this money.
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Courtesy Money Network
)
Topline:
Thursday at 11:59 p.m. is the deadline to use debit cards issued in 2022 for the Middle Class Tax Refund in California. Billions of dollars in public funds were given to help people with rising prices for gas and groceries, but hundreds of millions of dollars remain unclaimed.
Why it matters: The program allocated anywhere from $200 to just over $1,000 to help taxpayers with economic relief. You were eligible if you hit certain income criteria. Some amounts were sent through bank direct deposit, others through debit cards. But many debit cards haven’t been used or have funds remaining.
Look for your card: It has the bear from the California flag printed on it, as well as the Seal of California and the phrase Middle Class Tax Refund above the Visa logo.
What you can do: While the California Franchise Tax Board oversees the process, the company Money Network administers the debit cards. If you were eligible, you can check if you have any money left in the refund and hear options for how to use it if you can’t find your card. The automated customer service number is (800) 240-0223.
The backstory: Sacramento set aside billions of dollars in 2022 from a surplus to help taxpayers as the cost of gas and groceries rose.
What's next: Money that is not used by the deadline will go back to the California general fund.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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