New Jersey launches online Child Tax Credit application portal
Lower-income New Jersey families who qualify for the state’s refundable Child Tax Credit can now submit their information through a new online portal.
The mobile-friendly website, called SimpleFile, is for eligible residents who may qualify for the credit but are not required to file a state tax return.
Eligible filers who had a child age 5 or younger in 2025 can complete an application in English or Spanish in about 15 minutes, according to state officials.
Lawmakers approved an expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the fiscal year 2027 state budget. Beginning next year, the maximum credit will increase from up to $1,000 to up to $1,250. State officials said more than 200,000 families already claim the credit each year, but thousands of eligible households do not.
State Treasurer Aaron Binder said the goal is to make it easier for eligible families who are not required to file taxes to receive the benefit.
Community organizations, including HOPES CAP, Inc., will also help residents in Hudson, Union, and Somerset counties use the new system.
Families can review eligibility requirements and apply through the state’s SimpleFile website.
Krystal Knapp is the founder, executive director, and publisher of The Jersey Vindicator and the founder of Planet Princeton. She has more than two decades of experience reporting in New Jersey, including 10 years at The Trenton Times, where she was the newsroom’s public records and computer-assisted reporting expert. Her work has been recognized by the New Jersey Press Association and the Center for Cooperative Media. You can reach her at Krystal AT jerseyvindicator.org.