Beginning this month, tens of thousands of families in Alaska will receive payments from the federal government.
The payments are part of a child tax credit included in the massive federal stimulus package known as the American Rescue Plan, which earlier this year passed narrowly along party lines in both the U.S. House and Senate. No member of Alaska’s all-Republican congressional delegation voted for the bill, according to Congress’ voting records. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young voted against the bill. Sen. Dan Sullivan was absent for the 50-49 Senate vote due to a family funeral but had previously voiced opposition to the bill.
The child tax credit component of the bill provides payments to eligible families who filed taxes in 2020 or 2019. Eligible families with a child between 6 and 17 years old may receive payments of up to $250 per child, according to a fact sheet shared by the White House. Eligible families with a child younger than 6 may receive up to $300 per child. Most eligible families will automatically receive payments, which are set to continue through the end of this year. President Joe Biden has proposed extending the payments.
In Alaska, 84,000 families will receive a payment this month, according to the White House. That works out to be more than $39 million for about 155,000 children.
Couples with children who earn up to $150,000 per year or single parents who make up to $112,500 per year are eligible for the full credit, according to the White House.
People with children who did not file taxes in either of the past two years and earned less than $24,800 as a couple, $18,650 as a head of household or $12,400 as a single filer can use an IRS non-filer tool to sign for the tax credits, according to the White House.
The tax credit payments do not count as income, according to the White House, and they will not affect eligibility for federal benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Instructions and a link to the non-filer tool are available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit/sign-up/.
• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
