Democrats are making sure families are aware of a major benefit of their COVID-19 legislation – the Child Tax Credit means help directly in the bank accounts of the families who need it. Nearly all working families will automatically get monthly payments starting July 15th – no action needed. The American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit to up to $3,600 per child for children ages 0 to 5 and $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17, and Floridians should be on alert for the incoming funds.
“Every working family is eligible if they make up to $150,000 for a couple, or $112,500 for a single parent,” President Joe Biden said in a video. “And thanks to the Rescue Plan, if you file taxes, the payments will come automatically back to you and they’ll start coming monthly from July until the end of the year.”
President Biden reminded parents who may need the most help and did not file, that they can still get the funds by going to the “non-filer sign up” on the website. He also emphasized these benefits are just in place for 2021, but Biden wants to make the child tax credit to extend for years to come.
No Republican House or Senate member supported the American Rescue Plan.
Orlando Democratic Representative Val Demings, who is also currently running for U.S. Senate, supports President Biden’s plan to extend these payments past 2021. She is also encouraging hardworking families to be on the lookout for monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit. 55,000 households in the 10th Congressional District – covering 88.2% of all children in the district – are eligible, beginning July 15th through December, her office stated.
“The Child Tax Credit monthly payments that we passed in the American Rescue Plan will help set America’s children up for success and put more money in the pockets of hardworking parents,” said Rep. Demings. “Health care and childcare aren’t cheap, and daily necessities like gas, groceries, rent, and mortgage payments add up quickly. I am proud that we passed this critical support over GOP opposition, to ensure that families can stay on their feet, fuel our economy, and provide better lives for their families and their children.”
Labor unions also celebrated the benefits. AFSCME members fought hard for the American Rescue Plan’s funding for states, cities, towns and schools and posted their support for the Child Tax Credit which provides critical monthly relief to working families they represent.
Families will qualify for a full credit if their income is below $75,000 for single filers, $112,000 for people filing as head of household, or $150,000 for people who are married and filing jointly. Nearly all families should get their monthly payments automatically beginning July 15th with no further action required.
Families who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 and who did not use the IRS Non-filers tool last year to sign up for the Economic Impact Payments should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up.
According to IRS.gov: “The IRS urges everyone to be on the lookout for scams related to both Advance Child Tax Credit payments and Economic Impact Payments. The IRS emphasized that the only way to get either of these benefits is by either filing a tax return with the IRS or registering online through the Non-filer Sign-up tool, exclusively on IRS.gov. Any other option is a scam.
Watch out for scams using email, phone calls or texts related to the payments. Be careful and cautious: The IRS never sends unsolicited electronic communications asking anyone to open attachments or visit a non-governmental web site.”
