Wyden warns ‘millions’ could miss out on key credit due to IRS website flaws
The non-filer portal may be inaccessible for some looking to claim the Child Tax Credit
Biden delivers remarks to mark first monthly Tax Credit relief payments
President Biden delivers remarks to mark first monthly Tax Credit relief payments.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week warned that "millions" of families could be at risk of missing out on the expanded Child Tax Credit over their inability to access a key tool.
In a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, Wyden, who is chair of the Senate Finance Committee, demanded answers as to why the non-filer tool was not optimized to work on mobile devices and has not been translated into languages other than English.
"The portal is not designed to work on mobile devices, as intended by law, and has not been translated into languages other than English," Wyden wrote. "While I deeply appreciate the tireless work of the dedicated staff at the IRS to quickly stand up this critical resource, I am concerned that technological and design constraints on the portal will prevent America’s most vulnerable communities—those who make so little income they previously did not file—from even applying for this important funding."
Wyden noted that mobile device optimization is required by law.
The tool was developed in coordination with the Free File Foundation and Intuit.
IRS WARNS TAXPAYERS ABOUT CHILD TAX CREDIT SCAMS AS PAYMENTS REACH HOUSEHOLDS
He asked for responses to several questions, including whether a decision was made "to not create an accessible website."
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The Oregon Democrat expressed concern that without these updates, individuals in vulnerable communities may miss out on the benefit.
The non-filer sign-up tool can be used to report qualifying children for those who do not generally file tax returns.
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The expanded Child Tax Credit is $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and $3,000 for children between the ages of 6 and 17.
The IRS is paying half of the total credit in advance monthly payments beginning on July 15, while taxpayers will claim the rest when they file their 2021 return.
As previously reported by FOX Business, the IRS warned taxpayers this week about a growing number of scams regarding the Child Tax Credit.