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Dear [firstname],
As you may know, due to the deadly winter storms Texans endured earlier this year, the deadline to file 2020 state and federal tax returns was extended to Tuesday, June 15, 2021. The extension has allowed taxpayers to file up to two months after the normal deadline without any penalties or interest.
Tax Day for El Pasoans is on Tuesday, June 15. If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you have a few days to do so before the deadline. To learn more, please click here.
To ensure you don’t miss any important updates or reminders, please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
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This May, my office hosted a virtual information session on the 2021 federal tax season. Experts from the IRS, Taxpayer Advocates Service, and El Paso Central Appraisal District discussed common tax season topics like the recovery rebate credit for missed Economic Impact Payments, answered questions, and provided an overview of their services available to the El Pasoans, including free tax preparation resources.
The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. If you are elderly, disabled, speak limited English, or are a taxpayer who earns less than $57,000 annually, you can access free tax help using the VITA Site Locator Tool here, or call 800-906-9887.
If you missed the event, you can watch the video here, and listen to the presentation in Spanish here. Additionally, my office provides a number of services for El Pasoans, including help with a federal agency like the IRS. If you can’t get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion or feel like you have been treated unfairly, my office can help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. If you need any help with the IRS, please fill out a casework inquiry form.
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The American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit that will help 191,300 El Paso children and their families receive the financial support they need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to the expanded Child Tax Credit, qualifying families will receive up to $3,600 per child for children ages 0 to 5 and $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17. Beginning as soon as July 15, 2021 and through December, qualifying families can get up to: - $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5
- $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17
El Paso families will qualify for a full credit advance monthly payment if their income is below $75,000 for single filers, $112,000 for those filing as head of household, or $150,000 for those who are married and failing jointly. To be eligible, children must: - Have a Social Security number,
- Live with you for at least half of the year,
- Be under the age of 19 as of December 21, 2021, and
- Be claimed on your tax return.
The best way to ensure eligible families receive their payments is to file a 2020 tax return – even if they don’t have earnings to report or don’t normally file – because the IRS needs information from tax returns in order to calculate and issue monthly payments.
To learn more about the Child Tax Credit payments, click here.
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The life-saving American Rescue Plan is providing urgently-needed resources to defeat the virus, getting vaccines in El Pasoans’ arms, putting money into hard-working families’ pockets, returning children safely to classrooms, and putting people back to work. As part of American Rescue Plan’s national vaccination program, the City of El Paso is administering COVID-19 vaccines to all residents who are 12 years old or older. To schedule an appointment or learn about locations and hours of operations of clinics as well as walk-up sites that don’t require an appointment, visit www.epcovidvaccine.com. Vaccines have also been distributed to other local providers and I encourage you to visit the Texas Department of State Health Services website to find a provider near you.
The City of El Paso has a hotline for residents to call for more information regarding COVID-19 resources and the COVID-19 vaccine. The number is 915-21-COVID, or 915-212-6843.
Additionally, the City of El Paso continues to operate mobile testing centers throughout the city for any symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals. For more information on locations and operating hours, please click here.
Guidance about COVID-19 resources and vaccine availability is coming out daily. Please visit my resource page on my website for the latest updates, recommendations from the CDC, and a Frequently Asked Questions section to know the latest. Additionally, visit the sites below to stay up to date. The CDC provides updates on the virus and safety information for the public and healthcare professionals, as well as Frequently Asked Questions available here.
For more information about how El Pasoans can access direct relief and what the American Rescue Plan is doing for El Paso families, workers, and businesses, please click here.
Lastly, please encourage your family, neighbors, and others to subscribe to my newsletter, so I can provide them with timely updates relating to COVID-19 and my work in Congress. For news throughout the week, you can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter at @RepEscobar.
The safety and well-being of you and your loved ones is of the utmost importance to me. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email at Veronica.Escobar@mail.house.gov or by phone at 915-541-1400.
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Veronica Escobar Member of Congress
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