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Residents of the Virgin Islands are expected to start receiving Child Tax Credit payments in August, roughly a month's delay compared to the U.S., which started issuing payments last week.
The Internal Revenue Service on July 15 issued payments to families across the U.S. of up to $300 per child. The first payments totaled $15 billion to 35 million families and roughly 60 million children. The payments were made mostly through direct deposits, and the monthly payments are expected to continue through December.
Speaking briefly to the Consortium Sunday, Governor Albert Bryan explained the reason for the delay as well as why the V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue in some cases is requiring parents to provide the birth paper and Social Security number of their children.
On the delay in the USVI, Mr. Bryan said the Internal Revenue Service has not approved a plan to deliver the payments, and therefore the USVI remains in a waiting position until approved. "We're not going to be able to issue any before August because we don't have an approved plan back from the IRS," the governor said.
Mr. Bryan said his administration is expecting the IRS to approve the plan "in a week or two," at which point the administration will issue two checks for the month of August, and a check every month thereafter.
On the reason for B.I.R. requiring at times a child's birth paper and Social Security number, the governor explained, "Some of the [tax filers] have on their application their Social Security number and some don't. And you're supposed to have your Social Security number on your tax form in order to verify it. You're supposed to put your Social Security and your children's on the tax form with your file. If your Social Security number is already there, you're good, if it's not there then you need to get the Social Security number."
