Are children born in 2021 included in third stimulus check?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Parents who have had a child or are expecting one this year may be wondering if they will qualify for the latest stimulus package that was passed in March.

Laquita Pettis just gave birth this month to twins, Kylie and Christian.

She was hoping she was still eligible for the benefits included in the latest COVID-19 relief bill but she worried she’d missed it by a few weeks.

“I have a twin mom support group and I had seen a lot of people asking the question if we are able to get the stimulus package,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

“Pampers are not cheap and we go through maybe four to five packs a week,” she said.

Stoogenke contacted Mark Steber with Jackson Hewitt for answers.

Steber said that parents who are eligible for benefits and have had a child in 2021 will qualify for the latest package’s perks, which include a stimulus check for up to $1,400 for each child and an expanded child tax credit for up to $3,600.

But there is one catch: you’ll have to wait until you file your income tax return in 2022 to get the benefits.

“Anything that happened in 2021, the IRS would have no way of knowing, and they have not put any stopgap measures in place,” Steber said. “That will go on next year’s tax return, your 2021 tax return in 2022.”

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Cox Media Group