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Other IRS tools help parents manage their child tax credit payments this summer and beyond.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Don’t have your bank account registered with the IRS? Now is the time to set up your direct deposit information in the Child Tax Credit Update Portal if you would like to receive your child tax credit payments directly to your bank account. This same portal will also allow you to unsubscribe from monthly payments and later this summer will allow you to check the status of your money.
There is also a second IRS portal: the Child Tax Credit Non-Filer Enrollment Tool. It’s important that you use it if you typically don’t file your taxes and the IRS doesn’t have enough information to determine if you qualify.
We will explain how to use both portals and how to prepare for this tax break. We can also help you login to portals using ID.me, give you details of how you could receive your payment and tell you how to claim thousands of dollars for child care expenses. We recently updated this story.
Set up direct deposit now to receive your child tax credit money into your bank account
Using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, you can now add your direct deposit information if the IRS does not have it on a recent tax return. The IRS has said it will use what it has on file for the July 15 payments. For those that the IRS does not have bank account information, the tax agency will mail the July check.
To receive the remaining payments in your account from August, add your direct deposit information using the portal by Aug. 2, the IRS said.
Use IRS portals to register and manage your child tax credit payments
Here’s how online tools help parents with eligible dependents:
- The Child Tax Credit Update Portal allows you to verify that your family is eligible for the credit and to decline to receive payments in 2021. The next deadline to unsubscribe is August 2. In the coming months. you will be able to use this portal to view your payment history, add your bank account information or mailing addresses, and update the IRS on dependents.
- A non-filer portal allows you to provide the IRS with basic information about yourself and your dependents if you are not normally required to file a tax return.
- The Child Tax Credit Eligibility Wizard, also now open, can help you determine if you qualify for Child Tax Credit advance payments.
What other toolkits and resources are available now? The White House has launched a website for the Child Tax Credit that provides FAQs for families, eligibility details, and more downloadable information.
As part of a larger effort to raise awareness about the 2021 Child Tax Credit, the agency also provided a list of free tax days in 12 selected cities, including Los Angeles and New York. Until July 10, tax days will provide eligible families with help preparing and filing their 2020 tax returns so they can automatically receive advance payments.
Update portal allows you to unsubscribe from monthly payments
The Child Tax Credit Update Portal now lets you refuse to receive monthly child tax credit payments. This means that instead of receiving monthly payments of, say, $ 300 for your 4-year-old, you can wait to file a 2021 tax return in 2022 to receive the lump sum of $ 3,600.
To do this, visit the Child Tax Credit Update Portal and tap Unsubscribe from advance payments. You will then have to log in with your IRS username or ID.me account. (You can create one on the page if you don’t have one.)
After signing in, if you are eligible, you will see an option to unsubscribe from payments.
You can unsubscribe at any time, but note that you must unsubscribe at least three days before the first Thursday of the month you unsubscribe. For the July 15 payment, you had to unsubscribe by June 28. At this point, the IRS says unsubscribing or unsubscribing is a one-time action and you won’t be able to re-register until the end of September. The next deadline to unsubscribe is August 2.
You may want to opt out of the monthly advance payment program because you expect your circumstances to change or if the partial monthly payments interfere with tax planning. Families who typically owe the IRS money when they file their taxes may want to use the full credit next year. Or you can choose a larger payment if your household is saving for a big expense next year.
There is no cap on the number of children per household who are entitled to the credit.
Sarah Tew / CNET
The no-report tool allows you to submit information if you generally do not report taxes
The Child Tax Credit Non-Filer Registration Tool is a way for those who are not required to file an income tax return to provide the tax agency with basic information about their dependents . This tool can be used by low-income families who earn too little to file a 2020 tax return but need to notify the IRS of eligible children born before 2021.
With the no-report tool, you will be able to electronically file a simple tax form with the IRS with enough information for the agency to determine your family’s eligibility for child tax credit advance payments. . You should not use this tool if you need to file a tax return but have not yet done so. Also, do not use this tool if you actually filed a 2020 tax return or claimed all of your dependents on a 2019 return.
To use the tool, families must have a primary residence in the United States for more than half of the year. To enroll, parents must have their personal information on hand, including an email address, Social Security numbers for dependents, and a bank account routing number.
Disclaimer: The IRS recommends using the portal on a laptop or desktop computer, not a phone. While the tool isn’t mobile-friendly, according to the Washington Post, you can access it from a browser on your smartphone. In addition to requiring an email address, you should know your filing status and other tax information, which you might not be readily available as a non-filer. The tool is also not available in Spanish. (We contacted the IRS regarding the availability of the tool in languages ââother than English.)
The IRS has advice on how to complete the form as a non-filer. Note that it can take up to 48 hours for the IRS to confirm your email address – and another 48 hours after submitting your information for the IRS to accept.
1. To get started, create an account if you don’t have one yet. You will need an email address to confirm your information.
2. On the next page – titled âFill out your tax formsâ – enter your information, including your filing status and details about dependents. Because this portal is an update of the tool used by non-filters to claim dunning checks, you can add information about these payments, called “Recovery Rebate Credit” on the form. Add your banking information to receive your payments electronically rather than by mail. Press the Go to step 2 button when you’re ready.
3. On this page – named “E-Transfer your tax forms” – you will provide your adjusted gross income, or AGI, and sign the form electronically. (Here’s how to do it.) When finished, press the Continue to E-File button to submit your information.
The Eligibility Assistant tool tells you if you are eligible
The new Child Tax Credit Eligibility Wizard allows families to answer a series of questions to quickly determine if they qualify for the early credit. This can be useful for families who have not received a letter from the IRS confirming their eligibility.
Notify the IRS of any changes to your family
Later this summer, you will be able to report any changes in your life circumstances since the last tax return, such as a income change, a in addition to your family or child custody status. For example, if you started making less money this year, you’ll want to update the IRS on these changes so you can get the correct amount of child tax credit.
If you had or will have a new baby this yearIt is important to notify the IRS so that you can receive your payment up to $ 3,600 for that child. The same applies if you have adopted a child or if you have acquired a new dependent child since your last income tax return.
In addition, if you have obtained full custody of your child, you will be the parent who will receive the money for your child. Note that parents who have shared custody will not each receive a payment. This is important to domestic violence survivors, according to comments during an IRS surveillance hearing by Nina Olson, executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights. The “changed circumstances portal should allow them to enter their change of marital status and also the location of the children,” said Olson.
How to get payments without a permanent address
The IRS urges people to share information about the child tax credit with others who do not have a permanent address. By doing this, you are helping to ensure that families receive the payments to which they are entitled. You can share information with them about portals and online resources so that they know about programs that help them file a tax return.
Read more on income and age requirements for the expanded child tax credit.
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