This post-lockdown world is changing a lot of things for a lot of people. Even though there are millions of Americans that may be eligible for the debut of the Child Credit, there are some indications that they may not even know they should be getting this money.
A Financial Lifeline?
There will be monthly payments of up to $300 per eligible child as part of a completely overhauled 2021 tax benefit that proponents are touting as a “financial lifeline” for millions of eligible families. Some other estimates suggest that this benefit may be able to slash child poverty by nearly 50%.
But the problem is the families who need this money the most don’t seem to know about it. Many of them are non-filers with the IRS. This means in order to get their money, they will need to sign up separately at a website. Thankfully, the website is said to be up and running and operating smoothly. Indications at local events, however, show that a huge portion of the families that need this money, don’t know they are owed these payments.
The Campaign for Working Families, which is a non-profit tax preparation service for low-income families and others who qualify, says that they have signed up far fewer people for the credit than they initially anticipated. They are hearing from those affected, that even if a particular family is eligible for and due the child credit, the information surrounding how to sign up or provide information has proven confusing at points.
The Official Word From The IRS
The IRS says that for most people, the payments will happen automatically and no action will be needed. There have been some official IRS evens in cities like Philadelphia that have higher rates of non-filers than many other areas. These non-filers will not usually have much information on file with the IRS since they are not required to file yearly returns, due to low income or other circumstances, which means the IRS has no way of getting those families their money. This can be solved in most cases by simply visiting the IRS site.
IRS Web Tools & Opting Out
The IRS is offering some web tools to manage payment status as well as provide other functionality. There is a portal for those who may be receiving the payments but do not want to accept them currently. Maybe, if they expect their situation to change before the next tax filing season.
There is a series of deadlines for opting out, for those who do not wish to receive the payments. The next deadline is the 2nd of August to opt-out for the payment due on the 13th of August. The IRS site will provide a means to determine if you are eligible for the payments in the first place. This site will also let users verify that they have been enrolled, as well as update their banking information.