# Eligibility for that free money the government will give away **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558 "2008-02-28T21:33:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/1 "2008-02-28T21:33:57Z")
If I did not work last year and had no income can I still get some of that free money? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/2 "2008-02-28T21:46:43Z")
Where are you living and what’s your citizenship? Lots of countries have welfare (“free money”) for those who are looking for or unable to work, though normally you need to be legally resident and/or a citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/3 "2008-02-28T21:49:33Z")
If you are talking about the tax “rebate”, no. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/4 "2008-02-28T21:50:42Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] If I did not work last year and had no income can I still get some of that free money? [/QUOTE] If you when you say “no income” you mean literally no income, then no. You need a minimum of $3,000 qualifying income in 2007 in order to be eligible: [http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179094,00.html](http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179094,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/5 "2008-02-28T21:50:55Z")
He’s talking about the tax relief thing, the “economic stimulus” that was passed in the US. I was wondering the same thing; what if you didn’t work? Also, what if you did work, but not enough to have to pay taxes? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/6 "2008-02-28T23:36:32Z")
[Dang, y’all.](http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179181,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/7 "2008-02-28T23:50:58Z")
Sorry, **Gfactor**. Somehow I missed that you had linked to essentially the same info. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/8 "2008-02-28T23:55:01Z")
[QUOTE=Gfactor] If you when you say “no income” you mean literally no income, then no. You need a minimum of $3,000 qualifying income in 2007 in order to be eligible: [http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179094,00.html](http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179094,00.html) [/QUOTE] Well, actually you have to have the minimum $3,000 qualifying income in 2007 **and** file an income tax return for the 2007 income tax year. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/9 "2008-02-29T11:15:15Z")
In the UK, you can get up to £792 from the government by paying £2,808 into a pension, even if you have no earnings at all. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/10 "2008-02-29T14:56:43Z")
In 2007, I made about $5000…however, it was all 1099 non-employee compensation (I worked as a temporary contracter and my paychecks didn’t have any taxes withheld). I did my taxes on [completetax.com](http://completetax.com) and it said that I owed $300 federal and have a $250 NY refund (how did THAT happen?). I have the option of not filing at all, or I could pay $50 for the gamble that I’ll get that rebate in May. Should I go for it? ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/11 "2008-02-29T15:05:07Z")
[QUOTE=fusoya] In 2007, I made about $5000…however, it was all 1099 non-employee compensation (I worked as a temporary contracter and my paychecks didn’t have any taxes withheld). I did my taxes on [completetax.com](http://completetax.com) and it said that I owed $300 federal and have a $250 NY refund (how did THAT happen?). I have the option of not filing at all, or I could pay $50 for the gamble that I’ll get that rebate in May. Should I go for it? [/QUOTE] You don’t have the option of not filing. You must file a federal tax return if you have at least $400 in self-employment income. Those 1099s are self-employment income. You have to file because you have to pay self-employment tax (social security tax) on that income. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eligibility-for-that-free-money-the-government-will-give-away/439558/12 "2008-02-29T18:02:36Z")
Really? I was told otherwise in 2003 when I worked July-December and made about $11K that I was below the minimum income required to file. I didn’t file, and nothing ever happened. Anyway, my question is…if I do file, am I still eligible for this rebate if all of my 2007 income was from 1099?