Rep. Cutter: $750 Colorado Cashback Checks coming to your pockets this August

The following op-ed was published in The Jeffco Transcript.

Sen. Tammy Story, Sen. Jessie Danielson & Rep. Lisa Cutter

For Coloradans all across the state, the past few years have been challenging to say the least. We’ve been dealing with the ongoing unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing housing costs, environmental catastrophes right in our backyards, rising inflation, and the war in Ukraine, which has caused soaring gas prices. We are all fighting the economic uncertainty and assimilating to our new reality. Many folks are struggling to stay afloat as they try to support their families and get by on a day-to-day basis – a reality that is hitting hard-working middle class people and communities of color the hardest. Basic necessities like housing, groceries, gas, and child care continue to increase in price, adding financial and emotional strain to our hard-working neighbors and community members. We have listened to your stories and understand you need help which is why we worked hard this year to deliver urgently-needed relief into your pockets through the Colorado Cashback Plan. As early as August, every Coloradan who has filed their income taxes will receive Colorado Cashback rebate checks in the amount of $750 for individuals or $1,500 for joint filers. Rather than waiting an additional year for you to receive these funds, Colorado Democrats – for the first time in state history – proactively passed legislation to expedite the process. That means you will get support now, when it’s most needed, rather than spring 2023. At the start of this year’s legislative session, we promised to fight to make our state a more affordable and accessible place to live, and we continue to deliver on that promise. We passed legislation to save Coloradans money on housing, healthcare fees, car registration fees and starting a business. We implemented free, universal pre-k to support our families and ended the tampon and diaper tax, which will help women and families. We also passed critical measures to close corporate tax loopholes and make our tax system more equitable. In fact, because of the commitment and steadfast leadership of Democrats in the Colorado Senate and House along with our strong economic recovery, 94 percent of single filers will receive even more money through the Colorado Cashback plan than they otherwise would. That means expedited refund checks are going directly to the hard-working Coloradans that keep our state moving forward, helping to alleviate the financial pressure folks are feeling and ensure that Colorado works for all rather than a select few. Coloradans who filed their taxes by June 30, 2022, can expect to receive their Colorado Cashback check in the mail beginning this August. These expedited checks are intended to help ease some financial burden, support your families, and help pay for things like gas, groceries and rent. For any questions related to the Colorado Cashback, please refer to tax.colorado.gov/cash-back. If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, don’t worry – it’s not too late! Extended filers with a deadline of October 17, 2022 will receive their refund by January 31, 2023. Make sure you have your current address on record with the Colorado Department of Revenue as the checks will be mailed to your last known address. As your state elected officials, it is our duty to respond to your needs and ensure you have what you need to support yourselves and your families. We know how challenging the last few years have been and recognize the stress many of you have endured – we’ve felt it, too. That’s why we’re excited to deliver these checks directly to your wallets. Now and always, we will work to ensure every Coloradan has what they need to thrive.