Child Tax Credit Hits Bank Accounts of Hardworking Families: A Message from Rep. Huffman

July 15, 2021

Hello, 

The past year has been a difficult one for families all across the U.S., but help is here. I’m happy to share the news that starting today, Thursday, July 15th, families across the country will automatically receive Monthly Child Tax Credit Payments as a part of the American Rescue Plan. The Child Tax Credit will help millions of hard-working families around the country and cut child poverty in half. 
 
House Democrats worked hard to secure these automatic payments, which put more money in the pockets of hardworking parents to pay for child care, groceries, and more so they can go to work and help fuel our economy, all while building better lives for their families.  

  • If you filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return, eligible families will automatically begin receiving monthly payments. 
  • 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 today. 

Below is more information on the benefit, provided by the White House. Continue reading to learn more or visit ChildTaxCredit.gov. Para información en español, haga clic aquí.  

Here’s a look at how the Child Tax Credit will help California’s North Coast
According to the U.S. Treasury Department: 

  • A stunning 72.8% of children in CA-02 will gain from expanded and improved Child Tax Credit. That number is roughly 108,700 children.  
  • The average benefit for 44,300 households is $3,000.  
  • The expanded and improved Child Tax Credit lifts 8,600 children in CA-02 out of poverty. 
  • Because of the larger benefit for the youngest, 3,300 kids under the age of six are raised out of poverty.  
  • Families with children in poverty will receive $4,200 on average.  
  • 2,100 children will be getting out of deep poverty. 

How Much Is the Child Tax Credit Expansion from the American Rescue Plan?
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. The American Rescue Plan also authorized advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit through December 2021. Beginning in July and running through December, qualifying families can get up to:  

  • $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5.  
  • $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17.  

Families will get their remaining expanded Child Tax Credit when they file their 2021 tax return.   
 
Who Qualifies?
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. According to the White House, roughly 39 million households nationwide, covering almost 90 percent of children in the United States, will begin getting this tax relief automatically. 
 
How Do I Get My Payment?

  • Nearly all hardworking families should get their monthly payments automatically beginning July 15th with no further action required. If you’ve filed tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or if you signed up to receive a stimulus check from the Internal Revenue Service, you will get this tax relief automatically. You do not need to sign up or take any action. 
  • 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 today. 
  • Families who got their refunds from the IRS through direct deposit will get these payments in their bank accounts around the 15th of every month until the end of 2021. People who don’t use direct deposit will receive their payment by mail around the same time. 
  • Families will be able to determine their eligibility, check the status of their payments, and more at IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021 later this month.   

Watch out for scams
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.” 
 
This will be a game changer for countless families as we work on rebuilding after the pandemic. I’m proud to have worked with President Biden and House Democrats to pass the historic legislation that made this possible. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you have questions or are in need of assistance. 

Thank you, and stay well, 

Jared Huffman
Member of Congress