With the tax filing deadline approaching, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan visited Community Action Duluth in Lincoln Park to talk about the child tax credit program, encouraging people to claim their credits.

Along with the Department of Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart, Lt. Gov. Flanagan went over some statistics from last year, as well as some numbers so far this year. In 2024, nearly a quarter million families claimed their tax credits, totaling $562 million. So far in 2025, 89,000 families have already filed, totaling nearly $240 million in credits.

Minnesota is the only state with and “advanced payment” system for their child tax credit program, meaning families can receive half of next year’s credit in 3 installments. For example, if you have two kids, your credit will total $3,500. You would then get $1,750 of that in equal payments just shy of $600 in July, September, and November. These payments offer families financial flexibility with all the uncertainty of life.

“That extra thousand dollars can make a world of difference for families when there is a flat tire, some type of emergency medical bill, or when your kiddos shoe size goes from a 5 to a 7 over a 4-month period. These are the things that this is meant for, and the bottom line is when we increase family income, we improve child outcomes,” said Lt. Gov. Flanagan.

Even though taxes can be daunting for some, the impact of these credits make filing worthwhile. CAD Volunteer Sara Tucker has kids of her own and knows firsthand how these credits can give families the extra support they need.

“I owed myself, so I knew I was going to give some of that back to the state. But that’s alright, I still get some of it. Knowing that you’re going to have that extra cushion throughout the year is a tremendous help,” said Tucker.

If you haven’t filed your taxes already, the deadline is April 15th. Community Action Duluth offers free, walk-in clinics during the week until April 8th. Their schedule can be found on their website.