Child tax credit benefits begin

 

 

Josie Norris/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

• Eligible parents will begin receiving the first of their monthly child tax credit payments from the IRS, as part of a Democratic stimulus bill passed in March. [Vox / Gregory Svirnovskiy and Gabby Birenbaum]
• The expanded child tax credit of $300 a month per child under age 6 and $250 for children ages 6-17 will go to individuals making less than $75,000 and families under $150,000. The benefits phase out as income rises above those levels. [The Los Angeles Times / Chris Megerian]
• The monthly cash payments will continue for six months and are mostly being delivered by the IRS via direct deposit. For the first payment, the IRS and the Treasury Department said $15 billion in payments are going out for more than 60 million children. [CBS News / Aimee Picchi]
• The plan is projected to cut child poverty by as much as half. But it is temporary, for the moment; Biden and Democrats want to extend it through 2025 in their budget bill. While some Republicans have decried the proposed extension as disincentivizing work and marriage, the Treasury Department reported that 97 percent of recipients earn income. [The Associated Press / Josh Boak]
• Thirty-nine million American families are expected to receive benefits, creating a significant challenge for the IRS, particularly among low-income people who do not owe or file taxes. [Newsweek / Jon Jackson]
• The IRS has a portal for those who do not file tax returns to register for the credit, and if you received a stimulus check, you should automatically be enrolled. [NPR / Andrea Hsu]
• The Biden administration has been criticized for the payments' potential inaccessibility. The website lacks a mobile option, and is only available in English. Seven million children in poverty are estimated to be in non-filing households, and their parents are at risk of missing out on the benefit. [The Washington Post / Jeff Stein]