How to Claim Your Middle Class 1050 Tax Refund?

624,000 Californian households have not activated debit cards for $125 million in inflation relief payments from the Middle Class Tax Refund program, excluding the richest individuals.

(Credit: Zee Business)

1050 Tax Refund: One notable amount of $125 million in inflation relief payments that hundreds of thousands of Californians have yet to claim. 624,000 households have not activated the debit cards that were provided to them as part of the Middle-Class Tax Refund (MCTR) program, which was designed to lessen the impact of increasing living expenses, according to an analysis.

The MCTR program operated from October 2022 to September 2023. Depending on the specific situation, participants could receive one-time payments of $200 to $1,050. Except for the richest people, almost all Californians received this money.

$9.6 million Californians received prepaid debit cards worth $5.2 billion, while 7.2 million people received money straight into their bank accounts, totalling $4 billion.

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Despite this, only 90% of the cards have been activated, and 3.5% of them were turned into checks, meaning that $125 million and 624,000 cards remain unclaimed.

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As per Marca, the last day for people to use these cards and get their money is April 30, 2026. They can do this by calling the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) at 1-800-240-0223.

The FTB is also sending reminder letters to those who have not yet activated their cards. The same phone number is applicable for anyone who thinks they haven’t gotten their card or who needs a replacement because it was lost or stolen.

Remarkably, only 46% of the cards have a zero balance, meaning that many of the cards—even those that have been activated—still have unused money on them. This suggests that a sizable percentage of beneficiaries have not made the most of their allotted benefits.

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How to have your MCTR Debit Card activated

Activate your MCTR Debit Card by giving it a call at 1.800.240.0223 before using it. You can check your card balance and set your 4-digit PIN during this conversation. It’s crucial that you sign the back of your card and read the Cardholder Agreement, Fee Schedule, and Transaction Limits.

Your MCTR Debit Card can be used in-person, online, and over the phone, anywhere Visa Debit Cards are accepted.

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