GetCTC.org, Code for America’s simplified tax filing tool, allows families with little to no income to quickly claim the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and any missing amount of their third stimulus payment. The tool is free, mobile-friendly, available in English and Spanish and open now through mid-November.  By utilizing unique URLs and promoting this option to clients, VITA programs are able to count accepted GetCTC returns as clients served for grant reporting purposes.    

1: WHAT IS GETCTC AND HOW TO USE IT TO INCREASE YOUR VITA GRANT TOTALS  

Updated revenue rules allowed Code for America to relaunch the simplified filing tool in mid-May of this year. The tool allows individuals without a filing requirement to self-file a simplified Form 1040 to claim the CTC and Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) only. 

At the beginning of the intake process, clients are alerted that this tool will only help them claim the CTC and RRC, and they may be eligible for more benefits by filing a full tax return (with a referral to Code For America’s GetYourRefund.org on the page). 

If they choose to continue filing a simplified return, they’ll be asked a series of eligibility questions and, if determined eligible, are asked to provide their basic information. Below are details about the tool’s eligibility and a list of items that aren’t currently supported by GetCTC: 

General Eligibility Rules 

• Make less than: 
  • $12,550 if filing Single 
  • $25,100 if filing Married Filing Jointly 
• Have no other filing requirement: 
  • Make less than $400 in self-employment income 
  • Received Advance Premium Tax Credits 
  • Repayment of the First-Time Homebuyer Credit 
• Have an existing Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) 
• Have not already filed a 2021 tax return 

The tool does not currently support: 

• ITIN application or renewal assistance 
• Filing a 2020 tax return to claim any missing Economic Impact Payment 1 (EIP1) and EIP2 
• Other federal and state tax credits 
• Individuals who must file Married Filing Separately 
• Form 8862: CTC previously reduced or disallowed 
• Form 8332: Consent for the noncustodial parent to claim the child 

Why simplified filing? 

We know VITA programs work tirelessly to support clients through the tax filing process—often giving them step-by-step instructions in requesting a replacement Social Security card, requesting a wage and income transcript and working to make their sites as accessible as possible. Despite these efforts, some clients are still unable to claim the money they are owed and desperately need. 

GetCTC’s simplified filing tool is designed to help these clients who are unable to complete a full tax return to quickly claim the CTC and missing portion of their third stimulus. We hope that by introducing them to a simple process we will give them rapid access to much-needed benefits and help them build confidence in the tax filing system, so that they may be encouraged to take the extra steps to file a full tax return in future years. 

After GetCTC.org’s launch in September 2021, more than 115,000 families successfully filed returns using GetCTC in just 10 weeks, claiming an estimated $440 million. A typical client used GetCTC on a mobile phone and got a notification of IRS acceptance just 10 minutes after starting their return—and more than 99% of clients got through the tool without requiring live chat assistance. Read more about last year’s experience with GetCTC. 

In addition to clients who can’t complete their full tax returns, this tool is also meant to help clients who only need to claim the CTC and RRC. Most clients can complete the process in less than 15 minutes, without any assistance. By referring clients to GetCTC, you’ll save time for you, your volunteers and your clients—and be able to count their accepted return towards your VITA site’s MRE goals!  

How to refer clients to GetCTC and track accepted returns 

If you are closed for the tax season, you can link to GetCTC from your website, in social media posts and through partners who work with CTC-eligible families year-round. 

If you continue to work with clients in the off-season, we hope you’ll refer any clients who are unable to complete the full-filing option to GetCTC or refer those clients who only qualify for the CTC or RRC. You and your volunteers are usually in the best position to identify clients in these scenarios, but below are a few characteristics of likely clients: 

• Clients who most likely won’t be able to complete the process. This may include those who: 
  • Are unable to locate copies of their SS cards, ITIN letters or tax documents 
  • Are unable to visit the site during operating hours 
  • Visit the site after it’s reached capacity 
• Clients who only qualify for RRC or CTC—even if they have all of their documents. This may include those who: 
  • Indicate that they had no income during the year 
  • Listed public benefits, or SS or disability income as their only source of income 
  • Said they only need help claiming the CTC or RRC 
• Multi-year clients who didn’t earn anything in 2021. You can refer them to GetCTC (still getting credit for their return) so that they can quickly claim their 2021 refund while you work on their prior-year returns. 

Unique URLs and Tracking Referrals 

In order to get credit for the clients they refer, VITA programs must utilize unique URLs to track GetCTC referrals and count all accepted GetCTC returns towards their count of clients served in the VITA grant report. 

You can request a unique URL here. Please note that state abbreviations and some cities have been reserved for government partnerships. You can share this link directly on your website, social media, with qualifying in-person clients, and in outreach materials. 

You can also use your unique URL to track clients sent to different landing pages: 

• GetCTC.org/es/YourURL to send clients to the GetCTC Spanish landing page 

• Getctc.org/stimulus?s=YourURL to send clients without children to a stimulus-focused landing page 

• Getctc.org/puertorico?s=YourURL to send clients to the Puerto Rico landing page (which defaults to Spanish) 

All referrals will be tracked and shared on a partner dashboard, where you can see the number of returns filed and estimated refunds. Example of the data dashboard is below (for illustration purposes only): 

Additional Resources at GetCTC.org/Navigators 

• Quick GetCTC recorded demo 

• Step-by-step GetCTC guide 

• CTC outreach toolkit available in multiple languages to make outreach easy 

Have additional questions or want to learn about GetCTC? Sign up for GetCTC Outreach and Navigation office hours. 

2: OUTREACH!  ENGAGE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, CITIES, COUNTIES AND/OR STATE AGENCIES TO INCREASE YOUR GRANT TOTALS  

An estimated four million children are at risk of missing out on the Child Tax Credit.  Research has shown that state and local benefits agencies are the best messengers to reach out to families who don’t usually file tax returns.   

Code For America has partnered with the White House, U.S. Treasury, Coalition on Human Needs, Partnership for America’s Children and others on a National Tax Benefits Outreach Campaign.   

Our goal is to engage school districts, state agencies, cities and counties to send two or three messages to their clients/ families about the Child Tax Credit before the mid-November deadline.   

If you have relationships with state/local agencies and school districts, we encourage you to get involved! This is a way not only to reach individuals who could miss out on this money but also to boost your numbers if you use your unique URL.   

Get involved: 

1. Do you have relationships with school districts, cities, counties and/or state agencies? Fill out this form and Code For America and/or the Coalition on Human Needs will follow up with you with appropriate resources to determine the best way to reach out to the person you have a relationship with.  

2. If you prefer to directly reach out to districts and agencies to encourage them to spread the word about the CTC, check out this template email. This includes links to all of the resources districts and agencies will need to communicate to families about the CTC.