CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Talk of the Child Tax Credit and other stimulus funds has made national headlines for the past few months.
If you think your family qualifies for the Child Tax Credit, there are local resources to help. The United Way of the Coastal Bend is offering services to residents who need to take additional steps in order to qualify.
Eligible families began receiving Advance Child Tax Credit payments on July 15, but others may need to take those extra steps. Most families will receive $300 each month through the end of the year, and President Joe Biden wants to expand that through at least 2025.
The payments are part of the nearly $2 trillion Coronavirus relief package approved in March. President Biden sees the payments as an important way to reduce child poverty rates by half.
For people who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020, the Coastal Bend Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Coalition will be providing free assistance today - Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at United Way of the Coastal Bend. That's located at 4659 Everhart Road in Corpus Christi.
Volunteers will help families submit their information to the IRS to qualify for the Advance Child Tax Credit. Assistance will also be available to those with other tax-related questions or concerns whose 2020 household income was $58,000 or less.
According to the United Way of the Coastal Bend, those attending the event who have tax filing obligations but have not filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return should bring all required tax documents with them, including their photo ID and Social Security cards for all persons noted on the tax return.
For those not required to file a tax return, please be prepared to provide your:
• Full name
• Current mailing address
• Email address
• Date of birth
• Valid Social Security numbers (or other taxpayer IDs) for you and your dependents
• Bank account number, type and routing number, if you have one
• Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) you received from the IRS earlier this year, if you have one
For more information about the Advance Child Tax Credit, visit www.irs.gov/childtaxcredit2021. For more information about the VITA program and United Way of the Coastal Bend, visit www.uwcb.org.
