Kansas parents could get cash for having children with new bill

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansans may soon have an extra incentive to have children if a newly introduced piece of legislation gets passed.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, Senate Bill 436 was introduced and referred to the Committee on Assessment and Taxation to establish a child tax credit in Kansas.

Going forward from tax year 2024, this bill would allow married couples filing joint returns and others with children to acquire tax credits depending on how many children there are and what their Kansas adjusted gross income is, according to the bill.

Married individuals who file separate returns for a tax year where they could have filed a joint return can each claim only half the amount of the credit per qualifying child that would have been claimed on a joint return, according to language in the bill.

These tax credits are poised to primarily aid low-income parents. The largest child tax credit amount of $600 is available to those who are making below $25,000 or sitting below the federal poverty level.

For a child to qualify under the bill's current language, they must meet the following criteria:

• Bear a relationship to the taxpayer.
  • This is established if it is the taxpayer's child or a descendant of such a child. A brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister of the taxpayer or a descendant of any such relative also applies.
• Lives in the same residence as the taxpayer for more than half of the taxable year.
• Is not over the age of 18 at the close of the calendar year in which the taxable year of the taxpayer begins.
• Hasn't filed a joint return, other than only for a claim of refund, with the individual's spouse for the taxable year.

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