Orange County Health News
October 20, 2021 |
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The Child Tax Credit:
An Important Lifeline for Families
You may have heard that the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) is larger and is available to more families this year because of changes made by Congress in the American Rescue Plan in March 2021. In order to receive the new credit, you may need to take some steps to ensure you get the funds.
How does my family receive the credit?
- If you filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return and are eligible for the credit: No action is required. You should have started receiving automtaic payments on July 15, 2021. If your family situation has changed, you can update it or unenroll in advance payments at https://irs.gov/childtaxcredit2021.
- If you have not filed a tax return and you are eligible for the credit: Claim the credit using the simplified sign-up tool by 11/15/2021 OR wait to file the 2021 tax return in 2022 and receive the full credit at that time.
Is my family eligible for the credit?
Your family qualifies for the credit if: - The child is your son, daughter, grandchild, stepchild, or adopted child; younger sibling, step-sibling, half-sibling, or their descendent; or a foster child placed with you by a government agency.
- The child was under 17 at the end of 2020.
- The child has a valid Social Security Number.
- The child lived with you for more than half of 2021.
- The child did not provide over half of their own support for 2021.
Immigrant FamiliesPlease note that you can apply for and receive a tax credit with NO negative effect on any immigration application you might file. Immigration does NOT ask about tax credits or consider them negatively in your immigration application process.What's New About the Child Tax Credit for the Tax Year 2021?Although the Child Tax Credit is not completely new, there are some changes that are currently temporary for the 2021 tax year:- Amount of the Credit: There is no limit on the amount of the credit you can receive as a refund. The annual maximum credit per child has increased to $3,000 for children ages 6-17 and $3,600 for children under age 6.
- When the Credit is Paid: Instead of receiving your 2021 credit next year, you can receive your credit in monthly payments starting now. If you started receiving the payments on July 25, 2021, those payments would be $250 per month for each child between the ages of 6-17 and $300 for each child under age 6. If you apply for the credit now (after July 15, 2021), the monthly payments will be larger because you are "catching up" on the payments you've missed. You will then receive an additional check for the rest of the tax credit when you file your 2021 taxes next year.
- Age of Children Eligible: Families with children age 17 are now eligible to receive the credit.
- Income Caps: The amount of credit you can receive decreases if your income is above the following, depending on your filing status:
- $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
- $112,500 for heads of household.
- $75,000 for single filers or if filing separately.
Additional Information for Those Who Have Not Filed a Tax Return with the IRS in 2019 or 2020Simplified Sign-Up Tool: This website was developed with the IRS and is an official way to sign up to receive the Child Tax Credit if you are eligible. This is available in Spanish and English and is mobile-friendly. The deadline to sign up to receive the advance payments of the Child Tax Credit is November 15, 2021. After that you will need to a file a 2021 tax return in 2022 to receive the whole credit at one time. To use the simplified tool you need to:- Have income less than $12,400 for single filers or those filing separately, or $24,800 for joint filers.
- Have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
- Have not filed a tax return so far for tax year 2020.
Tax Filing Options: Even if you don't normally need to file taxes, doing so might have some benefits this year. If you file a full tax return, you can also receive all three stimulus checks and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (if you are eligible). If you only use the non-filer tool described above, you will not receive these additional credits.- Search for a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site near you for free and expert assistance: https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep.
- Free filing options through the IRS at irs.gov/freefile. IRS Free File is a program that connects lower-income taxpayers to free tax preparation services provided by private companies. Some of the Free File programs offer tax preparation in Spanish.
- Free filing online for those earning $66,000 or less per year:
For more information visit: getTC.org or childtaxcredit.gov. |
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Safer, Alternative Ways to Participate in HalloweenMany traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says traditional outdoor trick or treating or trunk and treating where treats are handed to children are lower risk this year, but limiting crowds is a good idea.
READ MORE at www.orangecountync.gov/Halloween |
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The free COVID-19 testing clinics hosted by OCHD are conducted by two different vendors, StarMed Healthcare in Hillsborough and Optum in Chapel Hill. Please register with the appropriate vendor depending on which location you would like to attend. |
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Free COVID-19 Vaccine ClinicsVaccines are free, and no ID is required! If you are coming for your second dose, please bring your vaccination card with the record of your first dose. Visit our COVID-19 Vaccine page for the most up-to-date information: www.orangecountync.gov/getyourshot.
***Need a third shot because you are immunocompromised?***
Visit our Chapel Hill location Monday through Friday from
8:30am - 4:30pm at 2501 Homestead Rd. The Hillsborough location is not currently offering third shots.
Pop-Up Walk-In Vaccine Clinics
In addition to our regularly scheduled walk-in clinics (see graphic above), the Orange County Health Department is pleased to offer pop-up vaccine clinics to all community members ages 12 and older. No registration required, these are walk-in clinics.
Last Fridays (at the old Courthouse in Hillsborough)
104 E. King St., Hillsborough, NC
Friday, October 29th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Flyers: English/Español
Farmer's Market Pavilion in Hillsborough (next to the Courthouse)
140 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough
Wednesday, November 3 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Flyers: English, Español
Farmer's Market Pavilion in Hillsborough (next to the Courthouse)
140 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough
Wednesday, November 10 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Flyers: English, Español
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Prescription Drug Takeback Day
Medications are the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths among children, according to Operation Medicine Drop, a statewide campaign that aims to eliminate the problem.
“Something as simple as leaving a bottle of expired or no longer needed prescription medications in a medicine cabinet, within the reach of children, can lead to accidental death,” said Sergeant Charlie Pardo, of the Chapel Hill Police Department. “Taking just a few minutes to gather those medications and bring them into Wegmans is potentially life-saving.”
Operation Medicine Drop reports an average of four people each day die of overdose in North Carolina and 79% of those deaths involve some type of opioid.
“Make sure you are aware of the prescription opioids in your home and ask yourself whether they still need to be there,” said Pardo. “We don’t want them to end up in the wrong hands.”
Properly disposing medications helps protect the environment and our community’s health, according to Orange Water and Sewer Authority. The agency asks you not to flush medication or put it down drains because it can contaminate our local water system.
Since the first drug take-back event in North Carolina, in 2010, Operation Medicine Drop has collected more than 246 million pills, supported more than 4,284 events, and assisted in the placement of more than 490 drop box locations.
Bring your medications to one of these two locations on Prescription Drug Takeback Day: Saturday, October 23rd:
Chapel Hill: Wegmans, 1810 Fordham Boulevard, 10am - 2pm
Hillsborough: Dorothy M Johnson Community Center, 501 Rainey Avenue, 10am - 1pm
Permanent medication drop boxes are located at:
- Hillsborough Police Department, 127 N. Churton St. ? Typically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. However, town facilities remain closed to the public currently due to COVID-19.
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office, 106 E. Margaret Lane ? 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
For more information about Operation Medicine Drop, visit www.ncsafekids.org or contact Master Officer Tereasa Matthews by email or by phone at 919-296-9530. |
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North Carolina COVID-19 Cases
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 1,457,798 COVID-19 cases, 17,640 deaths, and 1,811 hospitalizations. 55% of North Carolina's population is fully vaccinated.
There are currently 11,701 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 110 deaths in Orange County. 70% of Orange County residents are fully vaccinated.
For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every day around noon), please visit the NCDHHS website.
Orange County Health Department also has a COVID-19 dashboard webpage, with information on COVID-19 data in the county.
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