By Josh Boak
The Treasury Department said Monday that 39 million families are set to receive monthly child payments beginning on July 15.
The payments are part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which expanded the child tax credit for one year and made it possible to pre-pay the benefits on a monthly basis. Nearly 88% of children are set to receive the benefits without their parents needing to take any additional action.
“This tax cut sends a clear and powerful message to American workers, working families with children: Help is here,” Biden said in remarks at the White House.
Qualified families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under 6 and up to $250 per month for children between the ages of 6 and 17. The child tax credit was previously capped at $2,000 and only paid out to families with income tax obligations after they filed with the IRS.
But for this year, couples earning $150,000 or less can receive the full payments on the 15th of each month, in most cases by direct deposit. The benefits total $3,600 annually for children under 6 and $3,000 for those who are older. The IRS will determine eligibility based on the 2019 and 2020 tax years, but people will also be able to update their status through an online portal. The administration is also setting up another online portal for non-filers who might be eligible for the child tax credit.
The president has proposed an extension of the increased child tax credit through 2025 as part of his $1.8 trillion families plan. Outside analysts estimate that the payments could essentially halve child poverty. The expanded credits could cost roughly $100 billion a year.
Updated on May 17, 2021, at 2:06 p.m. ET with the latest details.
In the 1920s, an army of real estate boosters set out to redefine Florida from an economic backwater to a ritzy vacation destination, sparking a land boom — and bust — the likes of which America had never seen before.
President Joe Biden is meeting with the House Democratic committee chairs who aim to put his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on a fast track to becoming law.
Nate Boutte, pharmacy manager for Walgreens, talked about the readiness of the pharmacy chain in getting COVID vaccines out in the White House's new distribution plan.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
The IRS is offering eligible taxpayers who did not receive their full federal stimulus checks a chance to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 tax return.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas 9th District), spoke with Cheddar about the possibility of raising the federal minimum wage as part of the current COVID relief package.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich. 14th. District) said that Trump must be held accountable for his possible role in egging on supporters to invade the Capitol Building on January 6.
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif. 53rd District) spoke to Cheddar about how those accused of provoking the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, such as Rep. Greene and former President Trump, need to be held accountable.
Smartmatic is suing Fox News, three of its top hosts, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell for $2.7 billion, charging that the defendants conspired to spread false claims it helped steal the presidential election from Trump.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to 779,000 last week, a historically high total that shows that a sizable number of people are still losing jobs to the viral pandemic.
