Craig Questions IRS on Child Credit Payment Delivery

July 15, 2021

The Honorable Charles P. Rettig
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20224

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

I am writing to express serious concern and respectfully request answers to the implementation of the Additional Child Tax Credit.

This tax credit is estimated to help roughly 39 million households, covering almost 90 percent of children in the United States. According to the IRS's own data, there are 3,052 children in Minnesota's Second Congressional “who may be eligible to be claimed for the expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit but who had not been claimed on a recent tax return.” However, there are no Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites nor IRS offices currently open and located in MN-02.

This program exists to help families, especially the most vulnerable and chronically underserved. I am deeply concerned about the IRS's lack of support for non-filers, parents with newborns not listed on previous years taxes, and parents without access to time and technology to wade through the IRS online portals or long hold times on phone lines. When my staff requested the IRS help a family whose baby born in March 2021 for whom the online portal did not work, they were redirected by your agency to an FAQ page with no recourse possible on the individual taxpayer's account.

I respectfully request the IRS answer the following questions related to the implementation of the Additional Child Tax Credit as soon as possible:

Thank you for your consideration of the families of Minnesota's Second Congressional District and for your attention to this correspondence.

Sincerely,

Angie Craig
Member of Congress