

In Figure 2, we look at the relationship between planned uses of the CTC and families’ income in 2020. Robert Greenstein Wednesday, May 26, 2021 Relatively few parents planned to use the CTC to pay for tutors for children (7%), working less or changing jobs (6%), or sending their children to a different school (6%). The most common planned use was building emergency savings (75%), followed by paying for routine expenses (67%), essential items for children (58%), purchasing more or better food (49%), starting or growing a college fund (42%), and paying for child activities (42%), moving or making home improvements (32%), health care expenses (29%), child care expenses (26%), spending more time with children (20%), and purchasing gifts or entertainment (20%). We examine how these parents planned to use these payments in Figure 1. Overall, 64 percent of eligible parents anticipated receiving the CTC. Responses differ slightly across categories as some respondents skipped answering yes/no for certain categories. Notes: n=1,056 – 1,078 respondents who anticipate receiving the CTC. Source: Employment, Financial and Well-being Effects of the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit, Social Policy Institute. Our findings suggest that the CTC will not only act as a tool for decreasing child poverty in the short term, but also as a tool for increasing family social mobility in the long term. One of the key questions we asked parents in this survey was how they planned to use their CTC payments. The survey was administered immediately before the first CTC payments were delivered. To inform these policymakers, we utilized a probability-based online panel to survey a nationally representative group of 1,514 U.S. Our findings suggest that the child tax credit will not only act as a tool for decreasing child poverty in the short term, but also as a tool for increasing family social mobility in the long term.Īs policymakers grapple with whether or not to extend the new CTC beyond 2021, it is important to understand how families will use the CTC payments. birth rates may pose both social and economic challenges such as reductions in GDP growth rates. Some scholars also suggest that policies like the CTC could increase birth rates, an important consideration given that recent declines in U.S. Considering other outcomes, some scholars argue that the new CTC could disincentivize parental employment and thus curb social mobility, while other scholars argue the contrary: Cash payments can simultaneously decrease child poverty and increase mobility. Here, policymakers are not only considering the impact that the new CTC will have on child poverty, but also the impact that it could have on family social mobility.Ĭoncerning child poverty and racial/ethnic equity, researchers from Columbia University estimate that the new CTC could cut child poverty by 45 percent and would have the largest impacts on Latino and Black children. While the new CTC officially launched in July of 2021, policymakers are already considering whether or not to extend the new CTC beyond 2021. This restructuring would allow the CTC to act like a child allowance, which has been used in a variety of other countries. More from Smart Tax Planning: Trump wants to extend his tax overhaul.Twitter response to these trends, President Biden signed a bill this March that restructures the child tax credit (CTC) for one year-making it larger ($3,000 per child between the ages of six and 17 and $3,600 per child under six), broader (gradual phaseouts start at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for those married filing jointly), and more periodic (monthly payments).
#Tax credit for childcare expenses 2020 software
This will spell out how much you paid your employee(s) and the applicable unemployment, Social Security and Medicare taxes paid.Ĭonsider either working with an accountant or using payroll software - such as NannyPay or HomePay - to stay on top of your tax obligations as an employer. Schedule H: You'll turn in this form with your 1040 when you file your taxes.Form W-4: A withholding allowance certificate that you'll need from your employee if you withhold federal income taxes.Your employee will need to provide documentation to prove their identity. Form I-9: This is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of your worker.Here's the paperwork you'll need for your employee and the IRS: Avoid the tax headache by formalizing your relationship with your nanny from the beginning.ĭraft an employment contract so that you can address sick days, vacation time and other details.
