City officials announced a citywide push to ensure that all eligible families in Boston receive their Child Tax Credit (CTC), a newly expanded federal tax credit that experts believe could cut child poverty in half. While most families will receive the money automatically in monthly payments from July to December, 2021, families who do not file taxes will need to take action to claim the CTC. The Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment is conducting outreach to these families to ensure an estimated 5,100 Boston children do not miss out on dollars crucial to their care and well-being.
The expanded CTC is designed to defray the costs of child-rearing and child care, provide more child care options, and support return to work for those who have lost their jobs or income. To be eligible for the full CTC, married couples must earn no more than $150,000 and heads of household must earn no more than $112,500. Qualifying families will get the full CTC amount even if they owe taxes.
The full CTC provides families with:
•$3,600 per child under 6 years old
•$3,000 per child 6-17 years old
•Eligible children must have a Social Security Number.
Starting July 15, the first half of the CTC will be automatically deposited in monthly payments of $300 or $250 into the bank accounts of most eligible families. The second half of the CTC will be made available as a tax refund next year. Families that did not file a 2019 or 2020 tax return claiming the Child Tax Credit or did not share their information with the IRS to receive stimulus payments will need to claim the CTC using the Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool.
The Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment is spreading awareness of the CTC through an informational website (which includes translations in 12 languages) and is providing over-the-phone assistance through its Financial Navigators program, which can be reached at the Boston Tax Help Coalition Help Line at 617-356-8229. Partnering City departments and local community organizations are also offering assistance to those who have questions about the CTC or need help claiming it.
They include:
•Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)
•Greater Boston Legal Services
•Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
•Mayor’s Office of Food Access
•Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement
•Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
•Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement
•Shah Family Foundation
•Urban Edge