Child Tax Credit and Stimulus money available
Terry, My daughter is an American citizen with 2 young girls, 13 and 9. She recently divorced her husband, in Dubai. She moved back to the states, in July, with the girls and is living in AZ.
She doesn’t have a job yet and is living on her minimum savings.
The ex has not paid her any of the money he owes her.
My questiion is – Is she able to apply for the Child Tax Credit or any of the stimulus money?
Terry Says
The stimulus is different from the child tax credit. The stimulus is determined by whether she filed (co-signed?) an income tax return for 2019 — and falls under the income level to qualify. If she did, and did not receive the stimulus, she should go to the IRS website – here’s the direct link.
The Child Tax Credit also depends on her 2019 income — to get the advance. She can check it out here.
But when she files her OWN tax return next April for 2021, she should get some professional tax help. She can claim not only the child tax credit for 2021, but probably will qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Now that she is back in the US, she needs to check her credit for free at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. She needs to make sure she has her OWN credit — and that it reflects her single status, and that she no longer is liable for her ex husband’s credit issues.
And to take advantage of all those tax benefits, she really should get a CPA to help her file her2021 return — even if her income this year is so low that she is not required to file. She can claim those credits — AND she can claim the two stimulus checks offered earlier this year, if she qualifies based on income.
