U.S. Representatives Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City) encouraged New York parents to file their 2020 taxes in time to be eligible for thousands of dollars in federal funding on Friday. (Photo from the Archives of The Island Now)

U.S. Representatives Tom Suozzi and Kathleen Rice urged New York parents to file their income taxes in a timely manner in order to qualify for a newly expanded child tax credit under the American Rescue Plan.

Parents with eligible children who file their 2020 tax returns by May 17 can get the credit that can help impoverished families on Long Island.

“This child tax credit will earn thousands of dollars for hundreds of thousands of families on Long Island and make people’s lives better,” Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove, said Friday at a news conference. “The American bailout plan was great in many ways, we have to keep telling people about all the things that are in there.”

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Rice said more than 100,000 children in their 4th Congressional District, which includes Floral Park, Garden City, Hempstead, Mineola, Carle Place, New Hyde Park, and Westbury, will benefit from the Child Tax Credit.

That number, which represents more than 65 percent of the total eligible children in the entire district, includes 5,500 children lifted out of poverty as a result of the loan.

In Suozzi’s 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from Whitestone, Queens to Kings Park in Suffolk County and includes Manhasset, Roslyn, Port Washington, Great Neck, and Floral Park, more than 56 percent of eligible children will benefit from the credit, lifted out of poverty at 3,700, he said.

“This is money right in families’ pockets to put food on the table and pay the bills,” said Rice, a Garden City Democrat, during the news conference on Friday. “I encourage all families to file their taxes by Monday May 17th to receive the full amount they qualify for.”

Officials said tax returns filed by May 17 will not include the specific child tax credits, but filing will allow parents to receive “prepayments” as early as July. The payments are spread continuously over the rest of the calendar year.

“This is money right in families’ pockets to put food on the table and pay the bills,” said Rice, a Garden City Democrat, during the news conference on Friday. “I encourage all families to file their taxes by Monday May 17th to receive the full amount they qualify for.”

The tax credit offers parents $ 3,600 for each child 6 years old or younger, $ 3,000 for children 6-17 years of age, and up to $ 500 for children over 18 years of age, including full-time students 19 to 24 years of age. The benefit is available to the parents of biological and adopted children, stepchildren and foster children.

Full payments for each individual child are available for a single parent with annual sales of up to $ 75,000 and for joint applicants with annual sales of up to $ 150,000. Individual applicants with income of $ 240,000 or more and joint applicants with combined income of $ 440,000 or more will not receive a child tax credit.