Do I qualify for California's $600 relief payments?

While Congress is still in a stalemate on a federal package, California is moving forward with almost $8 billion of COVID-19 relief, officially signed earlier this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

There will be stimulus checks of at least $600 for an estimated 5.7 million California taxpayers, along with relief for small businesses and cultural institutions, plus dismissal of certain operating fees for restaurants and bars.

"We’ve got direct financial relief to Californians and families who were most impacted economically," said State Senator Nancy Skinner, who represents California's 9th District in the East Bay. Skinner chairs the Senate Budget Committee and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and played a leading role in drafting the relief legislation.

Most people, including Californians who quality for EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) at $30,000 income or less in the last year, must file their 2020 taxes to receive the payments.

They’ll get them similar to the way they’d get a refund, Skinner explained.

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