[2006alum]

The IRS mailed everyone checks in 2002, I think, as our rebate on the "surplus" (boy, that surplus didn't last long).  And again in 2008, I think.  So they have the capacity to do this.  Mnuchin says they could send out checks in 2 weeks.  ...Hopefully that is not the same 2 weeks within which we were supposed to see a million covid tests.

Anyway, I think as a practical matter it can be done.

Hmm, this paper says the tax cut bill was passed by Congress in the spring of 2001 and tax rebate checks were sent out "beginning in late July and continuing until late September." This suggests somewhere between 3 and 6 months after the legislation was enacted.

And again, that is presumably to households that had filed taxes that year and were eligible for rebates. Not all households file taxes. And sending out checks in Spring 2020 to addresses for tax filing from Spring 2019 risks sending checks to a lot of people who have moved. Moreover, in circumstances such as mine, I am not presently at my tax filing address, and sheltering in place/travel bans would prevent me from getting back there.

Not to mention, are banks operating normal hours right now? Will there be no delays in mail delivery in the next few weeks from workers who self-quarantine or are sick?

I guess I'm not sold that that method will be either fast enough, accurate enough, nor reach everyone eligible.

[2006alum]

The IRS mailed everyone checks in 2002, I think, as our rebate on the "surplus" (boy, that surplus didn't last long).  And again in 2008, I think.  So they have the capacity to do this.  Mnuchin says they could send out checks in 2 weeks.  ...Hopefully that is not the same 2 weeks within which we were supposed to see a million covid tests.

Anyway, I think as a practical matter it can be done.

Hmm, this paper says the tax cut bill was passed by Congress in the spring of 2001 and tax rebate checks were sent out "beginning in late July and continuing until late September." This suggests somewhere between 3 and 6 months after the legislation was enacted.

And again, that is presumably to households that had filed taxes that year and were eligible for rebates. Not all households file taxes. And sending out checks in Spring 2020 to addresses for tax filing from Spring 2019 risks sending checks to a lot of people who have moved. Moreover, in circumstances such as mine, I am not presently at my tax filing address, and sheltering in place/travel bans would prevent me from getting back there.

Not to mention, are banks operating normal hours right now? Will there be no delays in mail delivery in the next few weeks from workers who self-quarantine or are sick?

I guess I'm not sold that that method will be either fast enough, accurate enough, nor reach everyone eligible.