As part of the American Rescue Plan, the new Child Tax Credit offers monthly cash payments to families with children. If you are a parent or caregiver of children under 18, you may be eligible even if you do not usually file taxes or have low/no earnings.
The federal government is using the IRS to quickly distribute monthly cash payments to families with children for the next year to help alleviate the burdens created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first round of payments was issued on July 15, either through direct deposit, paper check or debit cards.
You can’t get your payments if you don’t file your taxes. File now. It’s not too late.
You may be eligible to receive money that you did not expect due to recent tax changes, new benefits and COVID-19 relief payments. But you can’t get your refund if you don’t file.
Through the new Child Tax Credit, families are eligible to receive up to $3,600 per year for each child in their care under the age of 6; and up to $3,000 per year for children ages 6 to 17.
Total benefit payment is based on the family’s income and number of children.
The Child Tax Credit does not count as income for federally-funded benefits, including SNAP.
That breaks down to:
$300 per month per child from July – December 2021, totaling up to $1,800 in 6 months for the first half of the payment
plus
$1,800 per child in a one-time payment after filing 2021 taxes. Payment will be made after April 2022.
That breaks down to:
$250 per month per child from July – December 2021, totaling up to $1,500 in 6 months for the first half of the payment
plus
$1,500 per child in a one-time payment after filing 2021 taxes. Payment will be made after April 2022.
You qualify for the Child Tax Credit, if you meet these three criteria.
If your household income is above those thresholds, you will receive slightly smaller payments, depending on income.
Calculate Your BenefitThe first payments were sent to families who qualify starting on July 15. You should have received your payments automatically if you have done any one of the following:
If you’ve already filed but haven’t received your payment, or if you have questions, click here to learn more.
Still need to file? It’s not too late.
GetTheTaxFacts.org is a collective effort to ensure that all families in the Detroit region access every single dollar of federal benefits available to them through the tax system. This would not be possible without all of our dedicated partners.
