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ELIGIBLE California residents can add more money to their accounts this coming tax season.

Californians can receive a one-time tax rebate of up to $12,076 but will only see this money if they qualify for benefits from three programs: the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC), and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

The CalEITC offers support for low-income Californians and provides them $3,529 for tax year 2023 if the family or individual earns $30,950 or less per year.

Then there's the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) which provides up to $1,117 per eligible tax return for California families with earned income of $30,931 or less and who have a qualifying child under six years old at the end of the tax year and qualify for CalEITC.

For the tax year 2023, the new Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) provides up to $1,117 per eligible individual or up to $2,234 if both the primary taxpayer and spouse are a current or former foster youth who received care at age 13 or older and was placed through the California foster care system.

You can claim CalEITC, YCTC, and FYTC by filing a state tax return, and make sure to file a federal return with the Internal Revenue Service to get the federal EITC.

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  • How to qualify for the $750 checks

    Additional qualifications for the California checks include:

    • Must be at least 18 years old
    • Residents of either San Bernardino or Riverside counties
    • Must be referred to the program by a Guaranteed Income (GI) partner agency
    • Must be low-income

  • Guaranteed income up to $750 up for grabs

    Inland Empire, California approved $10 million to provide guaranteed income to select individuals for 18 months.

    Two groups of residents can qualify for the cash, including, 500 pregnant women within their first six months of pregnancy.

    The first group will receive $600 a month, while a group of 120 former foster youth will see monthly payments of $750.

    In both cases, the cash comes with no strings attached and can be spent in any way the recipient seems fit.

  • More on Child Tax Credit expansion

    The new bill passed by the House is aimed at benefiting lower-income families. If passed by the Senate, it will increase the maximum refundable credit for those who owe little or no income taxes.

    Americans can also opt to use their incomes recorded the prior year in case they don't make a consistent wage.

    The credit would also be adjusted for inflation and is expected to increase from $2,000 to $2,100 in 2025.

  • House votes to expand Child Tax Credit

    The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday night to expand the Child Tax Credit.

    The $78 billion bipartisan tax package temporarily expands the Child Tax Credit and restores various business tax benefits.

    The tax bill still needs to go through the Senate for approval.

  • What to know about CPI

    Companies may use the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, to decide how much to modify compensation owing to inflation.

    One of the most often used measures for measuring inflation is the Consumer Price Index.

  • Avoid these 401k mistakes

    Many retirees rely on their 401k during retirement but could be missing out on savings because of a few common mistakes.

    The four mistakes are:

    • Ignoring tax liabilities
    • Employer matching
    • Allocating your funds properly
    • Keep your contributions consistent

  • Breaking down the Child Care Stabilization Program

    According to the White House, the $24 billion Child Care Stabilization Program has provided aid to help over 200,000 childcare providers.

    The program was designed to help childcare companies remain open so 9.5 million children would have a place to go when parents went to work.

    Additionally, the program offered grants to childcare places that helped with basic operational costs like wages and benefits, rent and utilities, and program materials and supplies

  • Grant money for tiny homes in Vermont

    Vermont is offering up to $50,000 in grant money for residents to build tiny homes.

    The state’s Chamber of Commerce called the plan “a low-barrier way for Vermont homeowners to help solve the housing crisis one unit at a time.”

    The grant is meant for units on owner-occupied properties, meaning the builder must live onsite.

  • ANCHOR program eligibility

    To be eligible, New Jersey homeowners must meet several requirements based on their 2020 residency, income, and age.

    They also must be a state resident with a gross income that does not exceed $150,000, according to the state’s website.

    Applicants must also have their name on a lease or rental agreement, pay rent, and occupy that space as their principal residence.

  • Learn more about the New Jersey ANCHOR program

    New Jersey has launched a property tax relief program to help homeowners and renters combat rising costs.

    The Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) program has already sent payments to 950,000 households and will continue to do so on a rolling basis.

    This year, the payments increased from between $450 and $1,500 to between $700 and $1,750.

    Applicants who are under 65 will get between $450 and $1,500.

  • Making a quick buck, part three

    A 13-year-old turned $10 into $730 by buying and selling beverage items for a profit.

    An Amazon seller made $6,000 after shopping at Costco. 

    Also, there are ways to make money from deliveries. 

    One made $107 in just 15 minutes by working through DoorDash’s large order program. 

    Another similar side hustle earned a driver $224 in just a few hours. 

    He did so through Walmart’s delivery service Spark Driver.

  • Making a quick buck, part two

    You can build the website yourself – but you might not have the skills or the extra time so you can get creative by deploying a trick.

    “If you’re lazy like me, you get someone else to do it,” Carter said.

    That’s where a tool like Fiverr comes in handy, which is an online marketplace where you can find freelance services.

    “You’re basically charging $150 to build a website and then you pay someone $40 to build it.”

    In that case, you would profit $110.

    Another thing to keep in mind before engaging with a side hustle is that you could be subject to a surprise tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service. 

  • Making a quick buck

    Tiktoker Carter (@carter.simplifies), who often shares tips on how to make money with his more than 230,000 followers, shared an easy side hustle.

    When he was 17, Carter said he was earning an extra $1,000 a week from what he called an “outsourcing” gig.

    It was “work I didn’t even do,” he said in a recent post.

    He said that you’ll want to target nail salons, or other businesses that don’t have a website that advertises what they do.

    Ideally, you’ll want to send them the ones that don’t have one an email telling them you would “love to build them a website,” Carter said.

  • Colorado provided millions in relief

    In Colorado, the Property Tax/Rent/Heat (PTC) rebate will support people with disabilities alongside older adults as they pay property taxes, rent, and heating bills.

    The total amount available is up to $1,044, and if you applied in 2023, you’ll earn up to a $1,000 refundable tax credit.

    The state anticipates the program to provide more than $7 million in relief to Coloradans in 2023 alone.

    To qualify, you must be a full-year Colorado resident meeting certain criteria.

    Either you must be 65 years of age or older, have a surviving spouse 58 years of age or older, or have a disability.

    For single filers, income is capped at $16,925 while those married filing jointly can make up to $22,858 to qualify.

  • Transfer money quickly

    The Federal Reserve announced the launch of FedNow in mid-July, a “faster and more convenient” way to transfer money.

    FedNow updates money transfer portals, making digitized cash payments instantaneous.

    American banks and lenders began instantly transferring money to customers all day, every day.

  • The Recovery Action Fund for Tomorrow (RAFT)

    The Recovery Action Fund for Tomorrow (RAFT) has announced that they are giving payments of $4,000 to its previous applicants.

    The organization has made an effort to help families and seniors who are struggling financially.

    Those who have applied have the opportunity to receive a one-time payment of $4,000.

    Families with children under 18 years old and seniors 55 years old and older are eligible for the money.

  • Understanding the STAR program

    The School Tax Relief (STAR) program, aims to save homeowners in New York hundreds of dollars each year on their bills.

    The eligibility for STAR depends on income and the type of property you have. 

    Eligible types of property include houses, cooperative apartments, manufactured homes, farmhouses, mixed-use properties, and condominiums.

    New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance has the full list of qualifications for the program. 

  • Additional changes in New Mexico

    Additionally, the New Mexico tax package includes expanding the state’s Child Tax Credit to up to $600 per kid.

    The exact amount will vary depending on income.

    Before the new law, the tax credit was worth $175 per child if the family income was less than $25,000 per year.

    “Expanding the Child Tax Credit will help over 200,000 New Mexico families and broaden our successful effort to reduce child poverty rates, which dropped by a full percentage point between 2019 and 2021,” Grisham said in a statement following signing the tax measures into law.

  • New Mexico giving money to residents

    New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham approved a state-wide rebate program, as a part of a big tax relief package. 

    To be eligible, you must be over the age of 18 and not be claimed as a dependent on taxes.

    More than 900,000 taxpayers are in line to receive a payment, according to the Governor’s office.

    The rebate distribution process started over the summer, according to Grisham.

  • Peach State sending help to homeowners

    Georgia is offering grants of up to $50,000 to homeowners under the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF).

    The program received $354 million from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

    The grants are intended to help homeowners with home procurement.

    Applicants must prove they have an income level no greater than the area median income (AMI).

    Applicants must have a Georgia driver’s license, a copy of their most recent tax return, verification of homeownership, and legal proof of their hardship.

  • Still time to apply for Alaska payments

    Alaskans receiving checks from the Permanent Fund Dividend can expect their payments on Thursday.

    Those whose status read “eligible-not-paid” on December 6 should have already received a check.

    The last check of 2023 will be distributed on January 18, 2024. This year’s check is $1,312.

    Every year the Permanent Fund Dividend resets and residents have to apply once again for the checks.

    The application for 2024 opened on January 1 and close on March 31.

  • Qualifying for the rebate worth up to $7,500

    First, shoppers need to be below a certain level of income — based on their pay from the previous year.

    The income caps are:

    • $300,000 for married couples filing jointly 
    • $225,000 for heads of households
    • $150,000 for all other filers

    The dollar amount of the rebate depends on the car’s components. If the EV has at least 50% of its critical minerals from certain countries the U.S. has free trade agreements with, you can qualify for $3,750.

    If the car has 60% or more of its battery components sourced from North America, you can qualify for another $3,750. For cars that meet each requirement, that’s a total of $7,500.

  • Tax rebate worth $7,500 available

    Millions of citizens could be eligible for a tax refund of up to $7,500, which would be issued almost immediately.

    If they fit certain requirements, those wishing to purchase a new or old fuel cell or electric vehicle may be eligible.

    Those planning to buy new EVs must meet certain criteria to qualify for the rebate.

  • $1.8 billion pot going out to Washington residents

    Washington residents will also see some cash back on their taxes.

    The Department of Revenue in the state is holding onto unclaimed money and property belonging to more than one million residents.

    The average claim is roughly $131, according to Joe Gisler, manager of Unclaimed Property.

    The money is coming from a surplus of $1.8 billion.

  • Google settlement explained, concluded

    Google denied any wrongdoing in the settlement, per CNBC.

    Wilson White, the company’s vice president for public policy and government affairs, also noted in a statement that the settlement “builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google’s ability to compete with other (operating system) makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers.”

    To claim the settlement money, customers must’ve made a purchase on the Android store between August 2016 and September 2023 and live in the United States or its territories during said purchase.

    Most eligible that were affected, around 70%, will not have to file an official claim, and payments will hit their accounts automatically, per ABC News.