Official from the IRS: Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool

[Lee Cruz]

Important changes to the Child Tax Credit will help many families get advance payments of the Child Tax Credit starting in the summer of 2021.

The IRS will pay half the total credit amount in advance monthly payments. You  will claim the other half when you file your 2021 income tax return. We’ll make the first advance payment on July 15, 2021. For a full schedule of payments, see When will the IRS begin issuing the advance Child Tax Credit?

Who Should Use This Tool

Use this tool to report your qualifying children born before 2021 if you:

• Are not required to file a 2020 tax return, didn’t file one and don’t plan to; and
• Have a main home in the United States for more than half of the year.

Also, if you did not get the full amounts of the first and second Economic Impact Payment, you may use this tool if you:

• Are not required to file a 2020 tax return, didn’t file and don’t plan to, and
• Want to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and get your third Economic Impact Payment.

Do not use this tool if you:

• Filed or plan to file a 2020 tax return; or
• Claimed all your dependents on a 2019 tax return, including by reporting their information in 2020 using the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool; or
• Were married at the end of 2020 unless you use the tool with your spouse and include your spouse’s information; or
• Are a resident of a U.S. territory; or
• Do not have a main home in the United States for more than half the year and, if you are married, your spouse does not have a main home in the United States for more than half the year; or
• Do not have a qualifying child who was born before 2021 and had a Social Security number issued before May 17, 2021.