July 13, 2021
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram: Kind, parents advocate for child tax credit payments starting this week
By Eric Lindquist
July 12, 2021
EAU CLAIRE — Kayla and Blaine Midthun expect to use the money from an expanded federal child tax credit to help pay monthly bills.
Amber Larson plans to pay off debt accumulated recently to replace a washing machine that died.
Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin parents will start receiving monthly payments of $250 or $300 per child on Thursday through a temporary expansion of the federal child tax credit. The payments were part of a COVID-19 pandemic recovery package known as the American Rescue Plan.
The payments are scheduled to run through December, although some Democrats are advocating for making them a permanent part of the U.S. tax code.
One of those lawmakers, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse, was in Eau Claire on Monday to raise awareness of the tax credit and push for making the expansion permanent to help families cover the costs of raising children.
More than 45,000 families in western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, covering more than 90% of all children, will benefit from the expanded child tax credit, Kind said in a news conference at Ramone’s Ice Cream Parlor, which is owned by the Midthuns.
The event was organized by the liberal advocacy group Opportunity Wisconsin.
“This is another way to help those families that have children. Roughly 1.2 million kids in Wisconsin alone will be impacted by this expanded child tax credit,” Kind said. “What this is is an early refund on taxes that would normally come next spring when taxes are filed.”
The American Rescue Plan expanded the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $3,600 for children up to age 5 and $3,000 for children from 6 through 17.
Beyond the monthly payments that start this week, families will get their remaining expanded Child Tax Credit when they file their 2021 tax return.
Read more: https://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front-page/kind-parents-advocate-for-child-tax-credit-payments-starting-this-week/article_9a87035d-5a8f-50fa-861a-48c13d39cddf.html
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