September 2021 Short Bits

IRS ISSUES REFUNDS

The IRS has issued more than 2.8 million in refunds to taxpayers who paid taxes on unemployment compensation before the American Rescue Plan Act excluded $10,200 in unemployment compensation for 2020. Approximately 13 million taxpayers may be eligible for adjustments that the IRS will automatically make to avoid needing taxpayers to file amended tax returns.

FINANCIAL LITERACY

Fifty seven percent of American adults are financially literate according to a report by Standard & Poor’s. Other advanced economies had high levels of financial literacy. Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom all came in with over 65% adult literacy rates. Understanding basic financial concepts allows people to make informed financial choices about saving, spending and borrowing.

2020 CENSUS DATA

The results of the 2020 census are in. The US has over 331 million residents, with California, Texas and Florida topping the list with the most residents; while Wyoming and Vermont are the least populated. Utah and Idaho saw the largest percentage increase in their populations with 18.4% and 17.3% respectively. Texas saw the largest increase with almost four million new residents since the 2010 census. There were over 350,000 citizens in the military or working for the federal government overseas.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

In 2018, the US Department of Commerce facilitated $20.1 billion in foreign investment into the US, which created over 22,000 jobs. The largest foreign investment came from the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Forty-five percent of the foreign investment went into the manufacturing industry. As of 2018, a total of $4.3 trillion has been invested in the US by other countries.