NC’s $335 checks for parents: How to get the money and when
Most North Carolina parents will receive checks for $335 from the state this fall, meant to help offset costs from their children’s virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know about who gets the Extra Credit Grants and when:
Why is this happening?
Each check will come with an insert from the state controller, explaining that the grant “is intended to assist with the additional virtual schooling or child care expenses incurred due to COVID-19,” according to the law. No elected officials’ names will be on the insert.
Who paid for these checks?
The federal government, which receives money from taxpayers. The General Assembly passed its latest coronavirus relief act in early September and Gov. Roy Cooper signed it. The money for the checks is from the CARES Act passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.
Are there conditions to getting an automatic check?
Yes. The two conditions are that the taxpayer (or spouse for joint filing) reported on their state tax Form D-400 that they were a resident of North Carolina for the entire 2019 calendar year; and that they reported at least one qualifying child on that same form, according to the law. North Carolina allows a tax deduction if you also claimed the federal child tax credit, which begins to be phased out for an individual above a $200,000 modified adjusted gross income, or $400,000 for joint filing, according to the IRS.
If you meet those criteria, checks will be sent automatically by Dec. 15.
Do my spouse and I each get a check if we filed jointly?
No. The grant is for eligible individuals who have at least one qualifying child, Department of Revenue spokesperson Schorr Johnson told The News & Observer via email. That means if you and your spouse filed jointly, you count as one individual.
When is my check getting here?
No later than Dec. 15.
The law also allows the state to send the money as a direct deposit into the same account as your state tax refund went to.
I didn’t make enough money to file taxes last year. Can I still get a check?
Yes, but you have to apply for it. You can apply online on the Department of Revenue website at ncdor.gov/extracredit. You can fill it out and submit it online or print it out from the website and mail it in.
Are there conditions to apply?
Yes; they are similar to the conditions for getting an automatic check, including the requirement to live in North Carolina for all of 2019.
Whose idea was it?
Republican budget writers in the Senate and House rolled out the idea before the start of a two-day legislative session to decide how to spend the remaining $903 million of CARES Act money. The stimulus checks account for about half of it.
Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, said he knows the $335 amount isn’t enough to pay off a mortgage but could pay for a babysitter and a dinner out for parents along with other costs related to virtual learning, The News & Observer previously reported.
“All I know is they need it; they deserve it,” Berger said.
The legislature passed the relief act and Cooper signed it into law earlier this month.
I have more questions.
Visit the N.C. Department of Revenue website about the grants at ncdor.gov/extracredit.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 4:01 PM with the headline "NC’s $335 checks for parents: How to get the money and when."
.jpg)