Tax credit cash for families with children coming from New York in a few weeks
Jul. 30—ALBANY — Families with children under age 16 may be getting a check in the mail soon from the state of New York for a few hundred dollars.
On Tuesday, Governor Kathleen C. Hochul announced that low- and moderate-income families with children will soon benefit from the Empire State Child Credit, a tax credit that aims to help families with the costs of raising children. Without any extra applications or paperwork, eligible families who submitted a tax return in April will soon see a check from the state in their mailbox, with up to $330 per child.
"We're delivering $350 million in direct financial assistance to low and moderate income families statewide through the child tax credit program," said Hochul in an address from the state capitol. "$350 million, meaning 1 million New York families with children will be receiving a check by the end of August."
Families making $110,000 or less per year are eligible, and married single filers making less than $55,000 per year are similarly eligible, as are single family leaders who make less than $75,000 per year. To qualify, a taxpayer must have been a full-time New York state resident in the 2023 tax year and have at least one eligible child.
This year, state officials made a change to the program that makes infants eligible — now newborns to children aged 16 are eligible for the credit, whereas before only children between ages 4 and 16 were eligible.
The payments going out shortly are supplemental — added onto the $100 per child maximum credit that was distributed during tax time. The individual totals for these credits is based on the credit the taxpayer received from their 2023 tax year filing, ranging from 25% to 100% of the credit received for that tax year.
In her remarks, Hochul said the move is aimed at helping families weather the high prices and back-to-school shopping season, with a goal of making New York slightly more affordable for families.
"This is part of the cornerstone of our collective efforts to now help families navigate the cost of living in New York," she said. "We're going to continue to find ways to drive the cost down."
Advocates and family resource groups are lauding the move, which was authorized in the state budget passed in late April.
"Getting money into the hands of struggling families is a powerful and immediate way to reduce stress and provide families with what they need to thrive," said Kate Breslin, president and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, an Albany-based children's social services nonprofit.
