[ [link removed] ]Katie Porter for Congress

John,

As one of the only single moms in Congress, let me tell you: there's no
discount for raising kids as a single parent. Yet it's harder for kids
from single parent homes to get help through the child tax credit, which
leaves families headed by single parents to bear more of a financial
burden. I call this the “single parent penalty”.

I’m proud to be in Congress to fight for working families—including
working families headed by single parents—which is why I’m excited to
share with you that, just last week, I introduced a bill to strike the
single parent penalty from the tax code.

[ [link removed] ]So today, I wanted to take some time to answer some commonly asked
questions about the child tax credit—and where the single parent penalty
comes into play. But before I do, could you please chip in
$3 (or whatever you’re able to afford) to our campaign so we
can secure the resources now to stay competitive and keep this seat blue
in 2022?

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contribution instantly:

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What exactly is the child tax credit, and how did it come to be?

The child tax credit is an annual tax credit that provides a financial
benefit to Americans with children. The credit lowers the amount you
ultimately owe in taxes.

Back in March, the enhanced child tax credit was passed into law as a part
of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, increasing the child tax credit
for tax year 2021 (hence, enhanced).

Starting on July 15, families with children will start to gain access to
these benefits: $3,600 for children under the age of 6, and $3,000 for
children between the ages of 6 and 17.

Who qualifies for the enhanced child tax credit?

In short: if your household has a child under the age of 18, you likely
qualify!

But much like the coronavirus stimulus checks that were also passed as a
part of the American Rescue Plan, the child tax credit does have income
limitations, which are as follows:

* $75,000 for single filers
* $112,500 for Head of Household filers
* $150,000 for married couples who file jointly

This is where we run into the issue.

This is a child tax credit. It’s about the cost of having a child; no
child should get less of a benefit just because the marital status of
their parents is different.

But if you’re a child in a single parent household, you’re less likely to
get the tax credit, and you’ll even get a smaller amount in some cases
than children who are living in families with two parents.

So that’s why I call this the single parent penalty,
John. But if you really look
at it, it’s the children of single parent households who are really being
punished here. Despite our research telling us time and time again that
children of single parent households often need the most support, our laws
don’t yet reflect that.

This is something that I’m continuing to work on, and I’m not going to
give up. Children of single parent households deserve just as much support
from their government as children in dual parent households.

[ [link removed] ]So if you’re with me, and if you’re able, please chip in
$3 or anything you can today. Your contribution will keep
me in Congress to fight for important things like striking the single
parent penalty, and keep our campaign competitive as we look towards 2022.

Thanks for everything,

Katie

 

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