Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Glad to see john eastman going through some things.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

An unpunished coup is a training exercise.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Let there be snark.

You are here: Home / Politics / Biden Administration in Action / First Monthly Child Tax Credit Relief Payments Going Out

First Monthly Child Tax Credit Relief Payments Going Out

by | 137 Comments

This post is in: ,

I will always love the image of soon-to-be Madame Vice President saying in the debate:  “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”

Well, she is speaking today, along with President Biden – about the child tax credit relief payments.

We should probably spread the word to everyone we know, right?  Be they Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Crazy.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

137Comments

  4. 4.

    Kent

    I was surprised to see an IRS deposit in my checking account yesterday.  And I usually pay attention to this sort of thing.

  8. 8.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Not bad for a corporate-consensus Neo-liberal who’s not socially regressive.

  9. 9.

    WaterGirl

    I just sent a note to my conservative republican-voting niece (who has two young kids) telling her that these are going out this week, brought to her by democrats, and stating that not a single republican voted for these funds to help out parents.

    I may get in trouble for that, but fuck it.  They are in our face (collectively) all day, every day.  Make it clear and undeniable that they are voting against their own interests.

  10. 10.

    Old School

    Just checked my bank account and the payment is there pending.  Woo hoo!  Thanks Democrats!

  12. 12.

    Elizabelle

    @WaterGirl:   Good for you.  My guess is you may not hear a peep from niece, but your information will land.  Might even get repeated.

  13. 13.

    rikyrah

    I love that they are taking to the airwaves to publicize this.

    As well they should.

     

    CLAP CLAP CLAP to all Democrats involved.

  16. 16.

    Another Scott

    TFG wanted to send out bigly one-time checks with his name on them.  And the press was more than happy to talk about that for months (which mostly ignoring the enhanced weekly unemployment benefits).  But the GQP doesn’t care about real people.

    Biden-Harris should send out messages with funny animal video clips to everyone getting these checks every month to remind them that the growing economy, vaccine availability, and money in their bank accounts are courtesy of the Democratic Party.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  17. 17.

    Jeffro

    Go Team Biden/Harris!  I love how Another Scott just put it

    Biden-Harris should send out messages with funny animal video clips to everyone getting these checks every month to remind them that the growing economy, vaccine availability, and money in their bank accounts are courtesy of the Democratic Party.

    Yeaahhhhhh buddy!

    In other news, looks like the mask is slipping off ol’ Glenn “Successful Independent Businessman! NOT” Youngkin

    McAuliffe said in a statement: “Glenn Youngkin has spent his campaign embracing Donald Trump and trying to hide his true views from Virginia voters, so it’s no surprise he does not have the courage to face me at this debate and answer questions just as every Republican and Democratic nominee for governor has done since 1985. His refusal to participate in this debate is an insult to Virginians and shows that Glenn knows just how out of step he is with the people of the Commonwealth.”

    A desperate Youngkin has now resorted to claiming that Virginia’s economy is in peril. A small problem: For the second time in a row, CNBC this year rated Virginia as the best state in the country to do business. (The network skipped rankings last year because of the pandemic, but Virginia received the same ranking in 2019.)

    “THINGS ARE TERRIBLE!!1!  IGNORE THAT CNBC THING!  C-R-T!  C-R-T!!”

    He’s going to lose by 10 points.

  18. 18.

    Barbara

    @WaterGirl: ​Well, I mean you owe her the opportunity to know that she can opt out of liberal domination and control by refusing to cash the checks.

  19. 19.

    Brachiator

    Yep. Advance child tax credit payments are going out. Too detailed to get into here, but people can go to the IRS website portal to make changes if necessary.

    I have noted before that the expanded child tax credit is one of the biggest and best attempts to help lower income people that I have seen in years of working in the tax industry.

    Currently, this expanded credit will only be available for this tax year.

    Also, an additional group of taxpayers are receiving refunds because of the exclusion of up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits. People may later receive a notice summarizing the adjustments and refund. They should hold onto this notice.

  21. 21.

    PsiFighter37

    I do not know the specifics of how this is structured, but it would be much more politically effective if it was a monthly check, in the mail, from the government, or as a direct-deposit line item. That is the kind of thing that will get people’s attention, not less withholding from a paycheck.

  22. 22.

    Barbara

    @Jeffro: I have seen Youngkin’s commercials, which incorporate the idea that “no one” really cares what political party you belong to so long as you have good ideas.  Which, of course, is laughable, but it does suggest to me that their internal polls show that running as a Republican is a liability for Youngkin.  Which is pretty damned remarkable when, not even 15 years ago I for one was dreading the prospect of presidential candidate George Allen.

  23. 23.

    Lyrebird

    @Brachiator: ​
     

    I have noted before that the expanded child tax credit is one of the biggest and best attempts to help lower income people that I have seen in years of working in the tax industry.

    Well I’m glad you repeated it, because I miss a lot. But this tax credit expansion has this parent sleeping better at night. And my worries are small stuff compared to what lots of families are dealing with.

  25. 25.

    mrmoshpotato

    Oh that’s good! ???

    Via bluegal

    My mom: What are they talking about?Me: Turtle soup.My mom: Forevermore, we’re calling McConnell “Turtle Soup.” ?? My dad: Fucking shit.My mom: That’s the spice that goes in it.??? #thelastword— Annalea, Antifa Temptress ☀️? (@citizengatsby) July 15, 2021

  26. 26.

    Mary G

    This is a lovely idea:

    Today millions of parents will receive their first #ChildTaxCredit payment! To celebrate I want to see photos of the kids who will benefit! Reply to this tweet with your favorite photos and share how these monthly payments will help you! pic.twitter.com/S1zOhjuhbX— Rep. Lauren Underwood (@RepUnderwood) July 15, 2021

    Even if parents don’t want recognizable pictures of their kids on the internet, they could take pictures from behind, or block out the faces.

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    @PsiFighter37:

    I do not know the specifics of how this is structured, but it would be much more politically effective if it was a monthly check, in the mail, from the government,

    The advance child tax credit is a monthly check or direct deposit. It has nothing to do with withholding.

  29. 29.

    Jeffro

    @Barbara: I think until they disown trumpov/”change their brand”/stop acting like complete f***ing lunatics, GQP candidates are going to have a very hard time in purple and/or suburban districts and states.

    Much less in blue ones, like Virginia.  =)

    But I look forward to all the contortions ol’ Glenn’s about to perform for the benefit of his MAGA audience, and the responses of some of his GQP primary rivals as he squishes his way through the campaign.  LOL

  30. 30.

    Geminid

    @mrmoshpotato: This morning  Hew Hewitt played a clip of McConnell trying to counter Joe Biden’s recent speech on voting rights. McConnell sounded like he was about to cry.

  31. 31.

    Jeffro

    @Rocks: I’m not sure Dems lose in Oklahoma, nor Repubs lose in Massachussetts, by those margins.

    60-40 is nice, I’ll take it for now.  =)

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Geminid:

    This morning  Hew Hewitt played a clip of McConnell trying to counter Joe Biden’s recent speech on voting rights. McConnell sounded like he was about to cry. 

    Like he was going to cry a river?

  34. 34.

    Jeffro

    @mrmoshpotato: he’s both a) getting bad advice and b) a perfect example of the pickle the GQP finds itself in, since they didn’t disavow election loser/coup attempter trumpov: their base is bananas, and shrinking, but they don’t want the pain of transitioning to some post-trumpov era

    I have thought for a long time that the GQP civil war would happen any day now, and that it’d be quick.  Looks like it is just barely getting started and will take a while.

  35. 35.

    Shakti

    @WaterGirl:

    You should repeat it monthly until the end of the year.  Five hundred bucks to six hundred bucks is nothing to sneeze at. Unless she’s rich.

    How many extra hours of work would she need to net that much?

  36. 36.

    Ol'Froth

    Looked in my bank account today, and there were $800 dollars there that weren’t there yesterday.  Even though I’m semi-retired, $800 is nearly what I make in a month from my retirement job. Thank you President Biden!

  38. 38.

    FlyingToaster

    Yesterday we received a letter on WhiteHouse letterhead informing us of our upcoming payments.

    Which is weird because there’s no way that we should qualify, as a dual-income-one-kid family.  Our old accountant was good, but not THAT good….

  40. 40.

    Brachiator

    @WaterGirl:

    I just sent a note to my conservative republican-voting niece (who has two young kids) telling her that these are going out this week, brought to her by democrats, and stating that not a single republican voted for these funds to help out parents.

    The Democrats should beat the GOP over the head with this issue. “During the pandemic the Republicans bailed out corporations. Joe Biden helped families.”

  41. 41.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: Last year Joe Biden won Virginia by slightly over 10 points. That was the best a Democratic Presidential candidate has done in the state since LBJ in 1964. Northam won the last Governor’s race by 8 points, I believe. So a 10 point victory for McAuliffe would be good. If he wins by much more, that would be a bad sign for Republicans generally.

  43. 43.

    Brachiator

    @FlyingToaster:

    Which is weird because there’s no way that we should qualify, as a dual-income-one-kid family.  Our old accountant was good, but not THAT good….

    If you got a child tax credit last year, you might qualify this year. You can also go to the IRS child tax credit portal and verify this.

  44. 44.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: Actually, the Republican civil war has been going on in Virginia for almost ten years now. So far, both sides are losing.

  47. 47.

    NotMax

    @Baud

    BTW, in OK cooler heads prevailed. This time. (emphasis added)

    Oklahoma’s chief elections official on Tuesday brushed off a request from a GOP state lawmaker seeking an election audit of some of the state’s 2020 general election results.

    Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax suggested an independent audit of Oklahoma’s election results is not allowed under state law.

    He also reiterated his faith in the accuracy of Oklahoma’s elections, saying the state’s voting devices are among the most precise and secure in the world.

    Citing debunked claims of election fraud in other states, Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, asked for a forensic and independent audit of the 2020 general election results in Oklahoma County and two additional counties, chosen at random.
    [snip]
    In his letter, Ziriax noted no state or federal candidates on the ballot for the 2020 general election requested a recount of the results.

    “There is no controversy surrounding the 2020 General Election in Oklahoma,” he wrote. “Because of the strong protections our state has in place for the security and integrity of elections, there is no credible suspicion or evidence of pervasive fraud here.” Source

    Rep. Roberts, trying to jump on the bandwagon, missing it entirely and going ker-splat on the tarmac.

  49. 49.

    Mary G

    @rikyrah: She’s worth as much as the whole Squad in terms pf getting shit done. And she’s adorable like Kamala when she’s joyful.

  50. 50.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Jeffro:

    he’s both a) getting bad advice and b) a perfect example of the pickle the GQP finds itself in, since they didn’t disavow election loser/coup attempter trumpov: their base is bananas, and shrinking, but they don’t want the pain of transitioning to some post-trumpov era 

    Sounds like 40+ years of saying whatever crazy shit was necessary to win is biting them in their fascist shitstain asses now.

  51. 51.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I’m glad Joe and Kamala are touting this accomplishment because it’s a BFD. Projected to cut childhood poverty in half. And what’s is the money to be spent on? Stock buy backs? Increased dividends? Higher CEO pay? 30 second space flights for billionaires? No…day care, food, clothing, housing, activities…things that will churn dollars in our communities. Nicely done, Mr. President and Madame Vice President.

  52. 52.

    Kent

    @FlyingToaster:

    Yesterday we received a letter on WhiteHouse letterhead informing us of our upcoming payments.

    Which is weird because there’s no way that we should qualify, as a dual-income-one-kid family.  Our old accountant was good, but not THAT good….

    I think they were overly generous in determining who got checks.   My wife is a senior physician and I’m a teacher and we have one child under 18.  A quick glance at the qualifying criteria suggests that we aren’t anywhere close to qualifying.  Yet there was still an IRS direct deposit check in our account yesterday and we got the same letter last week.

    I expect we will probably have to pay it back next spring when we do our 2021 taxes.

    EDIT:  according to this article, the child tax credit doesn’t completely phase-out for families filing jointly until you hit $440,000 AGI so I guess we actually do qualify:  https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/taxes/heres-who-isnt-eligible-for-the-300-child-tax-credit-payment-this-week/

  53. 53.

    Geminid

    @rikyrah: I am glad that Lauren Underwood is starting to get the attention she deserves. Another member of the talented Democratic Class of 2018.

  54. 54.

    NotMax

    When do the videos of RWNJs burning or shooting guns at their checks begin showing up?

    //

  56. 56.

    Roger Moore

    @Geminid:

    Actually, the Republican civil war has been going on in Virginia for almost ten years now. So far, both sides are losing.

    Give me an “I”! Give me an “N”! Give me a “J”! Give me a “U”! Give me an “R”! Give me an “I”! Give me an “E”! Give me an “S”! Gooooo Injuries!

  57. 57.

    Gin & Tonic

    Lexical analysis indicating strong probability that that Kremlin document published by the Guardian and discussed in this morning’s thread is a forgery:

    For example
    • a comma shouldn’t be used before ‘и может’
    • ‘делегЕтимизация’ is spelled with an orthographic error
    • ‘провокация возникновения’ is not how native speakers say, even in bureaucratic language
    • ‘занимающих роль’ is a lexical mistake. /2
    — Иван Ткачев (@IvanTkachev1) July 15, 2021

  59. 59.

    jonas

    People need to remember that these payments are essentially an advance on a credit you would normally claim when you file taxes in April or whenever. Depending on your income and withholding, just be careful you don’t end up owing the IRS a bunch of money back next year at tax time.

  60. 60.

    Baud

    @jonas: It’s an advance, but I think they also increased the credit.  So it’s not an advance on the old child tax credit.

  61. 61.

    FlyingToaster

    @Kent: That makes SO much sense.  I thought it was phased out well before 440K.

    I’ll go next week and convert WarriorTeen’s savings account to an ATM account, and that’s where we’ll start depositing checks.  Heh.

  63. 63.

    Baud

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised at how many people have recognized the seriously possibility that the document was not genuine.

  65. 65.

    zhena gogolia

    @Gin & Tonic:

    What my previous comment was trying to say is that linguistic analysis may go only so far, as the language has deteriorated.

  66. 66.

    NotMax

    Dear IRS,

    How long does it take for these to show up in accounts in the Caymans?

    Asking for a friend.

    //

  68. 68.

    zhena gogolia

    @Gin & Tonic:

    It’s definitely not google-translated and mistakes like the ones pointed out in the thread can be typically found in any Russian text that hasn’t been professionally edited for publication. And folks at PA are not the brightest people in Russia.— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) July 15, 2021

  74. 74.

    Ohio Mom

    Gin & Tonic:

    Only a few hours ago, Cheryl Rofer was cautioning us to not get too excited by the Guardian article. So I didn’t.

    I still think Trump got lots of help from the Kremlin. I recognize I might be wrong, or more likely, that I may never know for sure. But I also recognize that the thoughts bouncing around my head don’t matter in the larger picture.

  75. 75.

    Gin & Tonic

    @zhena gogolia: Of course. And something like делегетимизация instead of делегитимизация could easily be just a typo in minutes of a meeting. But when things start piling up, and the document is both a very convenient affirmation of our biases and further fuel on the right’s fire, the question becomes – cui bono?

    Of course you know both formal grammar and the current state of written Russian far better than I. It would be great to see the whole thing and not just the three short paragraphs screenshotted in the article.

  79. 79.

    James E Powell

    @Baud:

    I would hope someone looking to forge a document to fool the media and the intel community wouldn’t rely on Google translate.

    I would hope that they could find a native speaker.

  80. 80.

    lowtechcyclist

    @FlyingToaster:

    Yesterday we received a letter on WhiteHouse letterhead informing us of our upcoming payments.

    Which is weird because there’s no way that we should qualify, as a dual-income-one-kid family.  Our old accountant was good, but not THAT good….

    Same situation here! I was really startled to find out we were getting anything, because as a pair of DC-area GS-13s, we make a pretty decent bundle between us.  But sure enough, there’s a deposit in the checking account today from “CHILDCTC IRS TREAS” so it’s real.

    We really, truly don’t need it.  I think we’re gonna contribute this money to the local food bank. There will still be people who need their help.

  81. 81.

    zhena gogolia

    @Gin & Tonic:

    There’s a lot of skepticism out there about it.

    I’m trying to write something of my own, and I keep getting distracted by politics!

  82. 82.

    Just Chuck

    @Baud:

    ETA: TFG actually did better in WY: 70-26.

    Those may as well be the turnout numbers.  The whole fucking state is barely bigger than Colorado Springs.

  85. 85.

    matt

    She’s great. Media is sure doing a number on her though. My retired mother who is a lifelong Democrat told me she was disappointed that Harris has been doing such a bad job. She said she makes way too many verbal gaffes.

    Sigh.

  88. 88.

    NotMax

    @raven

    My record of receipt remains pristine.

    W check? Nope.
    Dolt 45 check? Nope.
    Biden check? Nope.
    This check? Nope.
    ;)

  91. 91.

    jl

    @NotMax: Have they thrown out the ceremonial vice-presidential bucket of warm ‘spit’, or is it in deep storage at a secure undisclosed location?

    Just read a report at TPM (behind paywall so no link) that Pence refused evacuation from Capitol in early stages of the Jan 6 riot, so he could preside over lawful transfer of power if that could be done. So, Pence, traitor or hero? I report, you decide.

    Amazing that as we sift through the layers of horrible, Trump and the Trumpsters remain at the very bottom.

    Edit: or maybe not amazing, but as expected, even among the crowds of bad people in high places during Trump regime.

  92. 92.

    CaseyL

    Well, I have no children at all, adult or otherwise, unless you count the 4-footed furry kind (which, alas, the US does not recognize as dependents, even though they absolutely are), so I am definitely not getting any deposits in my bank account :(

  95. 95.

    Baud

    @CaseyL:

    unless you count the 4-footed furry kind (which, alas, the US does not recognize as dependents, even though they absolutely are),

    I’ve been proposing that since Baud! 2016!

  96. 96.

    Roger Moore

    @jl:

    Amazing that as we sift through the layers of horrible, Trump and the Trumpsters remain at the very bottom.

    I would put it somewhat differently.  It’s amazing that Trump is horrible enough to make a bunch of random Republicans just trying to do the jobs they were elected to do look like heroes.

  98. 98.

    WhatsMyNym

    @lowtechcyclist:

    We really, truly don’t need it. I think we’re gonna contribute this money to the local food bank. There will still be people who need their help.

    You never know what the future holds. How about a savings account for the kid/s for college, etc…?

  99. 99.

    Omnes Omnibus

    For those of you who were not expecting the payment, III is just an advance on a credit you probably already claim on your taxes.  It has been expanded a bit, but it is fundamentally the same credit that has existed for years.  If you not want the advance payments, you can go to the IRS and opt out.  Just be careful.  If you take the payments and give them away, you may find that you owe taxes next April.

  102. 102.

    jl

    @Roger Moore: Good way to put it. As for ‘random’ depends on how far back you go. Lincoln, TR, Eisenhower. Even poor old Chester Arthur, one of the founders of the modern federal civil service, refudiated and reviled for fighting the spoils system.

    The GOPers of today are not ‘random’.

    I remember when it first occurred to me during the HW Bush years that there wasn’t much difference between the GOP and white collar crime ring. Ahh… if we could only go back to those halcyon days of yore.

  103. 103.

    NotMax

    @CaseyL

    “Yeah, the check I get for Fido is okay, for what it is. Now my neighbor, who keeps rabbits, is so flush he’s put in upstairs and downstairs heated swimming pools.”

  104. 104.

    jl

    @Baud: “Why would that happen if it was only expanded a little bit?”

    I don’t know. The Treasury might be short a penny someday and we’d all die?

    OTOH, if it works as it should, will be very hard to get rid of it. Enough GOP voters qualify and it won’t be perceived as welfare for ‘those people’, and will be very hard to kill it. Can expand it at the right time, if we still have a democracy.

  105. 105.

    jonas

    @Baud: That’s correct, I believe. Most taxpayers will be ahead on this one, but, as I said, it depends on whether your income has changed since last year and how much of a refund you’re eligible for.

  106. 106.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Baud: It has increased from 2000 to 3000.  Also the monthly payments should make a difference in day to day lives.  Someone with three kids is looking at 3k more per year.  At the lower edges of income that is huge.

  108. 108.

    Roger Moore

    @jl:

    I was thinking of contemporary GOPers like Pence, Cheney, and Raffensperger.  They’re all pretty awful, but because they had a shred of commitment to maintaining functioning elections, they looked like heroes for standing up to Trump.

  109. 109.

    MomSense

    I don’t get it because my kid turns 18 before the end of the year.  Damn.

    This would have changed my life if we had this when my older kids were little.

  110. 110.

    laura

    Roadie brother the elder has confirmed that $167 posted to the checking account for his qualifying teen.

  111. 111.

    jl

    @Roger Moore: Yes, I understood. I wasn’t trying to quibble but rather trying to amplify your point.

    And, I forgot US Grant as an example of what GOPers used to be. The GOP political class is shameless so such shaming has no effect on them. But pointing out the decay might sway whatever salvageable element of the ordinary GOP voters remains.

  112. 112.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Baud:

    @Omnes Omnibus: It is interesting to note how incremental changes to an  existing program can have huge effects.  Also, in my first comment, I did not mean to minimize what this will do; I wanted to warn people that this is a change to an existing program so they would not be caught off guard by the changes come April.

  113. 113.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    The issue was that the poorest third of children in the U.S. got a smaller tax credit than everyone else,
    and the poorest 10 percent of American children got nothing.

    It makes the full benefit now completely available to those with the lowest income and the parents who had so little income they didn’t file taxes at all.
    They had this discussion of whether to run the poorest 10% thru SSA rather than the IRS because it’s more difficult to reach that bottom 10% thru the IRS.
    If you lift up the bottom 10% to this extent you cut child poverty in half.

  114. 114.

    Old School

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’ll add that since the program is starting in July, only $1,500 of the $3,000 credit will be paid this year.  The balance will be claimed on next year’s tax return.

    The credit is also refundable which helps childhood poverty as parents will get the entire $3,000 regardless of what their taxable income was for the year.

  115. 115.

    Geminid

    @jl: Ullysses S. Grant:

    “I will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.”

    donald j. trump:

    “No President has ever been treated as unfairly as I’ve been.”

  116. 116.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Kay: Yes, one of the changes is that there is no longer any minimum income requirement to get the credit.

  118. 118.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    That’s who Biden is talking about when he describes such a small amount of money having such a large effect- the bottom 10%. Really poor.

    I think it really means a lot to him because obviously these people are no one’s “interest group”. It’s just a plain good thing to do with no anticipation of any political gain. They probably feel good about it.

  119. 119.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Old School: This will put a shitload of money into the hands of people who desperately need it.  It will also have a stimulus effect because every dollar going to those families is going to be spent on goods and services.

    ETA:  Maybe a first step toward UBI?  Hey, a boy can dream.

  120. 120.

    jl

    @Geminid:

    Eisenhower:

    “If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

    Triump:

    “I take no responsibility”

  121. 121.

    Steeplejack

    @jl:

    [. . .] Pence refused evacuation from Capitol in early stages of the Jan 6 riot, so he could preside over lawful transfer of power if that could be done.

    First impression, that sounds like self-serving bullshit, because nobody else (that we know of) was evacuated, nor have we heard about any plans (or rumors) to do that. Everything we’ve heard was “shelter in place.”

    And if it was only Pence because he was next in line to the presidency—gee, who was right behind him in the line of succession and was also in danger at the Capitol? ? *cough* Pelosi *cough* “Naw, we’ve got No.2, no need to save anyone else in this very fluid, confused situation.”

    ETA: “Refused evacuation” is the part that sounds like bullshit. “Couldn’t leave anyway, but why not put a heroic spin on it?”

  122. 122.

    LadySuzy

    @jonas: That makes me nervous too. People don’t pay attention, and I’m far from sure that those who will have to pay back a portion of it are very aware of that fact.

    Dems are taking a big political risk with a portion of suburban voters who are high middle-class.

  123. 123.

    jl

    @Steeplejack: I took TPM’s word for it that the story fits with information available at the time, so check with them. They might be wrong. I take it for granted that there is self-serving BS in all such after reports with any input from the individuals involved.

  124. 124.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @LadySuzy: It will change their taxes about $500 per child.  If they are high earning middle class that will not affect them that much.  Besides, they can opt out.

  125. 125.

    satby

    @Omnes Omnibus: That minimum really hurt me when my kids were young. They instituted the credit, but for the first couple of years I got only a small fraction. My total income the first year after my divorce was a hair over $8k, with two dependents (my ex was already a deadbeat). These are life-changing for the poorest families.

  126. 126.

    stacib

    @MomSense: That makes two of us.  Sheesh, I can remember some really tough times raising my two, and I generally had decent jobs.  As parenting is very expensive, single parenting is even more.  I don’t know how I did it.

  127. 127.

    NotMax

    @jl

    I don’t see that this sheds any new light on contemporaneous reports. Strikes me rather as being a weak sauce maneuver to puff up Pence.

  128. 128.

    Geminid

    @jl: Evacuating Pence could have been part of the plan to prevent certification of the election. I’ll be interested in how this story develops.

  129. 129.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @LadySuzy: Everything has some risk.  And I would guess that those who somehow blame Dems for advancing them $1500 of $3000 total instead of giving them $2000 weren’t going to vote D anyway.

  130. 130.

    Steeplejack

    @jl:

    “The story fits with information available at the time”? With wall-to-wall clickbait coverage in the immediate aftermath, nobody thought to report on this until six months later? C’mon, TPM.

  131. 131.

    Brachiator

    @LadySuzy:

    That makes me nervous too. People don’t pay attention, and I’m far from sure that those who will have to pay back a portion of it are very aware of that fact.

    The IRS and the Biden Administration has jumped through hoops to try to publicize the advance Child Tax Credit. A lot of emphasis has been to try to reach out to lower income taxpayers because they will benefit the most. But the information is out there for everyone.

    Dems are taking a big political risk with a portion of suburban voters who are high middle-class.

    Probably not a huge risk. Only one half of the benefit will be paid in advance. This might reduce the impact of any payback.

    Also, some higher income people may use CPAs and have received an alert. The IRS has also tried to send info out to some people.

    The calculations on who will receive the advance payments is based on 2019 or 2020 income tax returns. If some folks see a boost in income in 2021, they may be more likely to end up paying back the advance credit.

  135. 135.

    LadySuzy

    Unfortunately, this announcement by President Biden and VP Harris is being completely overshadowed  in the news cycle by the juicy content of the books “I Alone Can Fix It” (Phil Rucker and Carol Leonnig), and “Frankly We Did Win this Election” (Michael C. Bender). Granted, the quotes from General Miley, among other things, are pretty shocking”.

    I guess the president was just unlucky in terms of his timing.

  136. 136.

    Brachiator

    @FlyingToaster:

    Never qualified for anything but the standard deduction

    No dependents?

    Well, at least your tax returns may be simple. ;)

    ETA. I am hearing that some news stories about the expanded child tax credit are just wrong. For example, this credit does not apply to college age dependents age 18 and older. I know that the info coming out of the White House and the IRS is solid, so it’s getting lost in translation elsewhere.

    Some good short YouTube clips also.

  137. 137.

    FlyingToaster

    @Brachiator: You missed the context from the beginning:

    2 incomes, 1 teenager (age 13)

    Income higher than qualifies for an additional child tax credit, so we get the standard deduction for the 3 of us.

    VERY VERY COMPLICATED TAXES.  Hence the accountant.

    However, we make less than the $440K cutoff, so we’re getting a smaller check, but a check nonetheless.

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