The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) announced Monday, June 14, 2021, that it is extending its child tax credit program to parents and low-income households that usually do not file for tax returns. To accompany its announcement, the IRS also released a Non-Filers tool for eligible individuals to register.
CNBC states that the tool in question is only open for families and individuals who have not filed their taxes for 2019 or 2020, as well as those who did not use the tool to register for economic impact payments in the last year.
According to the New York Times, the expanded Child Tax Credit is slated to reach eligible parents and households in July of 2021. It is expected to be given on a monthly basis until December of this year. These payments can be directly deposited into the bank accounts of qualified individuals.
Eligible households will receive a total of $3,600 for every child aged 6 and under. Meanwhile, children aged 6 until 17 will be given a child tax credit of $3,000 each, reports the New York Times. These will be given in installments, with families being given $250 or $300 every month.
The new tool unveiled by the IRS will also allow individuals to register for the $1,400 stimulus check that Congress initially approved in March this year. Moreover, the tool will also allow qualified individuals to claim two relief payments prior to the ones approved in March, reveals CNBC.
In a statement, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “We have been working hard to begin delivering the monthly Advance Child Tax Credit to millions of families with children in July. This new tool will help more people easily gain access to this important credit as well as help people who don’t normally file a tax return obtain an Economic Impact Payment.”
The Washington Post reveals that although the new tool has been launched to cater to the needs of non-filers, this may not exactly be accessible to many as the IRS requires users to register via a laptop or desktop rather than their mobile phones.
