In only three weeks, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be saddled with the unenviable task of disbursing millions of expanded child tax credits that were approved under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

And in a concerted effort to help eligible families, particularly those who generally do not file a federal tax return, to get their hands on the monthly checks, the tax agency is partnering with nonprofit organizations, churches, and community groups to get the word out regarding the new credits.

The chief aim of the partnership is to get these parents to use the newly launched Non-filer Sign-up Tool, which will give the IRS the necessary information to properly disburse the funds.

“This important new tax change affects millions of families across the nation, and the IRS wants to do everything it can to help people get the payments,” IRS Wage & Investment Commissioner Ken Corbin, who also serves as the agency’s Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, said in a statement.

“Many people miss out on tax benefits simply because they don’t file a tax return. Our work in these cities is designed to help people receive monthly Advance Child Tax Credit payments and Economic Impact Payments,” he added.

The White House has also launched the website www.childtaxcredit.gov to give eligible parents even more details.

“I have repeatedly said that America’s middle class deserves a tax cut, and we’re providing a significant tax cut to America’s working families with children through the largest-ever child tax credit,” Biden said in a statement.

“This tax cut will give our nation’s hardworking families with children a little more breathing room when it comes to putting food on the table, paying the bills, and making ends meet,” he added.

Thanks to Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, eligible parents will now be able to collect as much as $3,600 per year for a child under the age of six and up to $3,000 for children between ages six and seventeen. Broken down further, that amounts to a $250 or a $300 cash payment for each child every month through the end of the year.

Parents should also be on the lookout for two letters that have been mailed out by the IRS. The first letter will head to individuals who may be eligible to receive the credits, and the second, more personalized letter will state the estimated amount of their monthly checks.

People can also check their eligibility for the payments by using the new Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant. To make the sign-up process go smoothly, they should have on hand the following information: Social Security numbers for their children, Social Security numbers or Tax Identification Numbers for themselves and their spouse, a mailing address, an email address, and their bank account and routing numbers.  

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters.