Child tax credit 2021: September payment date, monthly opt out deadlines, IRS portal details - CNET

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Update your direct deposit info or mailing address before the next payment. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

The third child tax credit payment is coming in just two weeks and will arrive in your bank account on Sept. 15, or be mailed as a paper check soon after. The child tax credit program is different from prior years for qualifying families. Parents are getting part of their child tax credit money in advance monthly payments and the other half during tax time next year; they can expect up to $300 per child for each month through December. But some families may choose to opt out to avoid repaying the IRS due to complicated tax situations. 

If other household details have changed significantly since your 2020 tax return, you may no longer qualify for advance payments, so it's best to check (we'll show you how) and notify the IRS soon. A few factors could affect your eligibility, including the number of dependents, marital status or income -- all of which can also impact your taxes next year. If you don't qualify for advance payments and don't opt out, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise during tax time. 

We're here to answer some of the most common child tax credit questions and tell you how to manage your payments through the IRS portals. If you're still missing a payment or got less than expected, here's what might be happening with your money. And if you need to file an IRS payment trace, here's how. You can also use CNET's calculator to verify how much money your family should be receiving. This story is updated regularly.

When is the next child tax credit payment coming?

The next payment is going out in a few weeks, on Sept. 15. Remember, you'll get half of the money in monthly payments this year, and the rest in 2022 when you file your taxes, unless you tell the IRS you want to unenroll from the advance payments to get one payment next year. 

So in other words, your single largest payment arrives next year -- up to $1,800 per child. Until then, you get six smaller payments in total this year to start using right away. The idea is to bring you money sooner, which is why the checks are "advance payments," to meet expenses like rent, food and day care. 

Child tax credit payment schedule

Monthly	Maximum payment per child aged 5 and younger	Maximum payment per child aged 6 to 17
July 15: First 2021 check	$300	$250
Aug. 13	$300	$250
Sept. 15	$300	$250
Oct. 15	$300	$250
Nov. 15	$300	$250
Dec. 15: Last 2021 check	$300	$250
April 2022: Second half of payment	$1,800	$1,500

When is the last day to opt out of monthly payments? 

Advance payments are optional, and even though the majority of US families are eligible there are still families that don't qualify. If you know your household situation is changing significantly this year, you may prefer to opt out to avoid needing to repay the IRS. The next deadline to opt out of monthly payments is Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. PT. You can use the IRS Child Tax Credit Update Portal online anytime between now and December to unenroll. You may want to unenroll if you don't meet income or other eligibility requirements. 

To stop advance checks, the IRS says you must unenroll three days before the first Thursday of the following month. See the chart below for deadlines. Once you unenroll in this year's advance payments, you can't yet reenroll, though the IRS says it will make that option available later. Also note that for couples who are married and filing jointly, each parent must unenroll separately.

Child tax credit payment unenrollment dates

Payment month	Unenrollment deadline	Payment date
July	June 28	July 15
August	Aug. 2	Aug. 13
September	Aug. 30	Sept. 15
October	Oct. 4	Oct. 15
November	Nov. 1	Nov. 15
December	Nov. 29	Dec. 15

How much money are families getting paid per child each month?

The way the child tax credit payments will be divided between 2021 and 2022 might be confusing. For each qualifying child age 5 and younger, up to $1,800 (half the total) will come in six $300 monthly payments this year. For each kid between the ages of 6 and 17, up to $1,500 will come as $250 monthly payments six times this year. 

The IRS bases your child's eligibility on their age on Dec. 31, 2021, so a 5-year-old turning 6 in 2021 will qualify for a maximum of $250 per month. For both age groups, the rest of the payment will come with your 2021 tax refund when you claim the remainder of the credit in 2022. 

If you have a dependent who is 18 years old, they can qualify for $500 each. Dependents between the ages of 19 and 24 may qualify as well, but they must be enrolled in college full time. Here's more on the financial details for qualified dependents. 

Note that some parents who did not get paid in July might have adjustments made on their August and subsequent monthly payments, which could translate to higher amounts. 

What are the income and age limits? 

Income limits determine how much you will receive and if you even qualify, though there is no limit on the number of children you can receive tax credits for as long as you're eligible. 

Single filers earning less than $75,000 per year, heads of household earning less than $112,500 per year and married couples earning less than $150,000 a year will be eligible for the full amount. 

The amount you'll get will then phase out for higher incomes. Your child tax credit payments will phase out by $50 for every $1,000 of income over those threshold amounts, according to Joanna Powell, managing director and certified financial planner at CBIZ. In other words, your family could still receive some money above those income limits, but it won't be for the maximum payment. 

2021 child tax credit maximum payments

Age 5 and younger	Up to $3,600, with half as $300 advance monthly payments
Age 6 to 17	Up to $3,000, with half as $250 advance monthly payments
Age 18	$500 one-time check
Age 19 to 24, full-time college students	$500 one-time check

How will this year's payments affect taxes next year? 

If you're eligible for advance payments and choose to get the extra cash this year, you'll receive the second half of your total on your taxes next year. You'll need to know the total amount of child tax credit money received in 2021 to compare it with how much you can claim. The IRS will send a letter with your personalized estimate that you can use for your 2021 tax return. 

Since the IRS uses your 2019 or 2020 tax return, your family may not qualify for the child tax credit payment when you file your 2021 tax return in 2022, or it could have issued an "overpayment." In this case, you may have to repay the IRS some or all of the credit. The child tax credit rules aren't as flexible as the stimulus check rules regarding overpayment. One example of when this would happen is if you and the other parent (who's not your spouse) of your child both received the child tax credit for the same dependent.

To avoid this tax inconvenience, make sure all your information is updated as soon as possible. The Update Portal will soon let you make adjustments to verify your new income and number of children. Another option is to unenroll from early child tax credit payments and get the money in 2022. Here's what to know about how the payments impact your tax refund next year.

Why are there multiple IRS child tax credit portals and tools? 

This summer, the IRS opened its child tax credit online portals. The first portal is for people not normally required to file an income tax return, including low-income families. And the Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant tool -- available in English and now in Spanish -- helps families quickly determine whether they qualify. 

The Child Tax Credit Update Portal currently lets families see their eligibility, manage their payments and unenroll from the advance monthly payments. Parents can also update their direct deposit information and mailing address using the portal. Later this fall, it will allow families to update other information if their circumstances changed -- for example, if a new child has arrived or will arrive in 2021 and isn't reflected on your 2020 tax return. You'll also be able to update your marital status, income or dependents to have the most up-to-date eligibility information. 

This handy PDF also describes what the portals do. 

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What if a child tax credit check is delayed?

One thing to keep in mind is that the IRS is targeting specific payment dates (see above). If you have direct deposit set up with the IRS, you might see a pending payment before the actual closing date. That means you might not be able to access the money right away, but that it's in process. Unfortunately, the advance credit isn't without the usual hiccups. Around 15% of families that received July's payment by direct deposit were mailed paper checks in August because of a technical issue. 

It could take longer for your payment to arrive if you're receiving the check by mail. If enough time has passed and you're concerned there may be a problem, you can use the IRS Update Portal to correct your banking information or address. You can also file an IRS payment trace if you're worried. Check here for more information about missing payments. 

Can families that don't file taxes still get advance payments this year?

Payments will be automatic for those who filed their 2020 tax returns (or those who claimed all dependents on a 2019 tax return). Parents who didn't file taxes should use the new IRS tool, called the "Non-filer Sign-up tool," to get their money, even if you're not usually required to file. This will let the IRS know your income level and how many dependents are in your household who count toward the child tax credit benefits. You could also file a tax return to get the full monthly child tax credit payment you're owed. 

Parents who get too much child tax credit money this year may have to repay the IRS. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Can parents get checks for babies born in 2021? 

If you have a baby in 2021, your newborn will count toward the child tax credit payment of $3,600. Children who are adopted can also qualify if they're US citizens. You'll be able to update the IRS on a new dependent once that aspect of the Update Portal is available. 

Can both parents who have shared custody get payments?

For the first two stimulus checks, some parents who shared custody of a child but weren't married to each other were entitled to each claim money for the same child. That was only if they alternated years for claiming the dependent -- in other words, if one parent claimed the child on their taxes in odd years and the other claimed the child on their taxes in even years.

This is no longer allowed for the third check, and we're told it won't work that way for the child tax credit payments either. Here's what we know so far about child tax credit and shared custody situations.

If the child switches homes this year, the parents will need to agree on who will claim the child on their taxes this year. The parent that claims the child and receives the child tax credit payments will need to fill out Form 8332 and include it with the tax return. If you don't qualify or want to get the money in one lump sum, you can also opt out of early payments. Remember, if you're not eligible but receive the money, you may have to pay the IRS back during tax time.

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