This month, Governor Polis announced that Colorado is using a new tool to remove barriers to families accessing state tax credits. A partnership with Code for America, SimpleFile is a free, online tool that helps Colorado families apply for tax credits like the Child Tax Credit and Family Affordability Tax Credit in under 15 minutes. Families may be eligible for up to $4,473 per child, which helps purchase necessities like food, transportation, and child care.
In Colorado, one in nine children experience poverty. Tax credits like the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Family Affordability Tax Credit (FATC) are some of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty and improving economic security. Research estimates that tax credits like the CTC and FATC have the power to reduce child poverty by 37%. Nearly half of all Colorado families with children were eligible for the FATC in 2024.
However, thousands of eligible Colorado families miss out on these credits due to barriers such as fearing loss of other benefits, having low or no income, or not knowing if they qualify or how to file. SimpleFile helps families apply for state tax credits through a user-friendly, online tool that reduces these common barriers. To be eligible for SimpleFile, a family must have made less than $15,000 for single filers or $26,000 for joint filers in 2025 and must not have filed a tax return. Unlike other tax filing platforms, SimpleFile does not require income documents.
SimpleFile increases access to important tax credits, helping put cash in the hands of thousands of eligible low-income families who would’ve missed out on these programs.
