May 15 marked the first day Wisconsin parents can make a child tax rebate claim onlineor over the phone.
It’s a $100 rebate offered to parents with children under 18 as of Dec. 31, 2017, who are Wisconsin residents.
A spokesperson for Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue estimates more than 670,000 people qualify to make a claim and by 4 p.m. Tuesday, the state had processed more than 85,000 claims.
A spokesperson for the Department of Revenue told TODAY’S TMJ4 the state hired about a dozen temporary and permanent employees to handle customer services related questions regarding the rebate.
Katherine Ison, of Sheboygan, filled out the online rebate form Tuesday. It took her 10 minutes.
“It’s $100 less than I have to save up over the course of like three months,” said Ison. “It makes things a little easier all the way around.”
She’s a stay at home mom with two kids and she’s on disability. Ison said normally she has to dip into savings to buy school supplies or clothes for her children.
Twenty-six-year-old mom, Brittney Bloomer, has plans to make her claim soon. With a one-and-half-year-old, $100 she said, can go fast.
“I’d use it for his savings account, or groceries diapers, wipes,” said Bloomer.
The rebate comes as a result of a state budget surplus of nearly $400 million. Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers decided some of that will go back to Wisconsin taxpayers.
Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue ran several technical tests to make sure the website where people make a claim could handle a large volume of claims.
Claimants have until July 2 to apply. It can take up to three weeks to get your rebate, but a spokesperson for the state said the rebate will likely come sooner.
