Cities for Action Leaders Request that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Extend the Deadline for Claiming the 2021 Enhanced Child Tax Credit (CTC)

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2022

CITIES FOR ACTION LEADERS REQUEST THAT THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR CLAIMING THE 2021 ENHANCED CHILD TAX CREDIT (CTC)

28 mayors & county executives from across the country sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Rettig and Treasury Secretary Yellen requesting that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extend the deadline for claiming the 2021 enhanced Child Tax Credit (CTC) by one-year for taxpayers in need of Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs).

The letter recognizes the Biden Administration’s commitment to ensuring that all eligible families apply for the CTC with a thorough outreach campaign and a simple online enrollment option. The CTC has provided vital assistance to families during the COVID-19 pandemic and still has potential to impact many more eligible families.

The letter also underscores that many members of mixed-status immigrant households need an ITIN to apply for the Child Tax Credit. Because of misinformation in immigrant communities, pandemic-related challenges, and the lack of targeted assistance, several community-based low-income tax assistance providers have reported that many parents and other caretakers of eligible children were unable to file for their ITINs before the April 2022 deadline and are now looking for help.

Cities for Action leaders appreciate the IRS’s consideration, and look forward to partnering to assist more families in accessing the Child Tax Credit in the coming months.

Albuquerque, NM Mayor Timothy M. Keller: “All families in Albuquerque should have equal access to resources for financial stability, including all the hard-working, tax-paying immigrants in our city who need to apply with ITIN numbers,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “We encourage the IRS to extend the deadline to claim the enhanced Child Tax Credit to give more of our families the chance to apply.”

Emeryville, CA Mayor John J. Bauters: “In order to ensure equity and avoid further economic disparity, it is important to extend the deadline to claim the enhanced Child Tax Credit. Emeryville’s immigrant families are valuable community members as well as committed taxpayers; they deserve a fair opportunity to claim such an important form for relief.”

Somerset, MD Mayor Jeffrey Slavin: “Immigrants in the County in which the municipality of Somerset is located have been essential in carrying our community through the pandemic. We must extend the deadline to claim the 2021 enhanced Child Tax Credit and ensure that our tax-paying immigrant families have as much access as possible to this substantial economic relief.”

Somerville, MA Mayor Katjana Ballantyne: “Extending the deadline for claiming the enhanced Child Tax Credit is a concrete way to more equitably deliver relief to the children and families who need it most. It’s a proven strategy to reduce child poverty, housing instability, and food insecurity. Our country is a nation of immigrants, and in Somerville, we are proud that people from around the world have chosen our city as their home. At all levels of government, we must be deliberate and take action to ensure our policies and institutions are meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities."

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LETTER

About Cities for Action

Cities for Action is a coalition of over 170 U.S. mayors and county executives working to advocate for and promote civic inclusion of our immigrant communities. Click HERE to see a list of Cities for Action mayors and county executives. To learn more about our work, follow us on Twitter.