The new child tax credit rules determine who gets the money and who doesn’t.

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While parents who share custody can have a child separately as a dependent, they can both get that Child tax credit? Prepayments start in July and are sent out monthly through December, with the rest of the money coming with yours Tax refund next year – but you have the opportunity to do so Turn off the monthly checks when the IRS portal opens.

If you have Children under 18 years of age, you could get Payments up to $ 3,600 with child tax credit upfront. But there are Requirements for your children ((Babies born in 2021 are eligible) and your adjusted gross income plays a role. More importantly, parents who pay little to nothing Federal tax receive the full amount they qualify for that time (lower income families have been excluded in the past).

How is the child loan expansion different now? Right to a payment and do parents who share custody of a child receive money? We’ll explain. Plus, here’s more on that Timeline for the current stimulus test, how one Track this payment and What should I know about the amended tax form?. You could also get up to $ 16,000 back in childcare costs.

Payment can only be made to one parent in a joint custody situation

With the The first two stimulus tests, Parents who are not married but share joint custody of a child everyone could receive payment for the same child when they take turns collecting their taxes on the child for years. With the new bill, Congress worked to fill this gap for the third stimulus checks.

Can parents who share custody of a child exploit a similar loophole with the new temporary tax credit? No, said Elaine Maag, a senior research fellow at the impartial Tax Policy Center. Only one person can claim the credit for a specific child, Maag told us. And if you mistakenly claim a child this year, you may have to repay all or part of the payment next year.

The repayment of an overpayment of the child tax credit is a departure from the way the stimulus tests were handled. If you’ve received an overpayment, there is usually no need to return it. (Here are situations you need to Return a stimulus check payment to the IRS.)

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Child Tax Credit: How Much Do You Get?

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If you owe overdue child support, will your child tax credit be confiscated to cover?

According to the Congressional Research Service – the Congressional public policy research institute – the new law exempts the regular child tax credits that ran this year from compensation for overdue child support payments. However, the amount you claim as a credit on your 2021 tax return could be offset in 2022, CRS said, similar to how Stimulus payments claimed as Recovery Discount Credit could be diverted to cover an overdue debt.

How does the child tax credit work?

Prior to this year’s changes to the American Rescue Plan, eligible families were able to claim a tax credit for theirs qualified children when they filed their taxes. The credit would reduce the amount of tax owed. However, this payment rule excluded lower-income families who did not owe federal taxes and who would not benefit from a tax saving on the loan.

With the new law, the credit is “fully refundable” so eligible families receive the full dollar amount even if they don’t owe any income tax. Families will get half of the loan through period payments starting in July this year and the second half of the loan in 2022 if they file their taxes for 2021 during next year’s tax season. If you’d rather receive a check instead, you can get full payment on filing with the IRS next year. Here you can find more details about how the child tax credits work.

More than 9 in 10 families with children are eligible for the Child Extended Tax Credit.

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Do I Qualify for Child Tax Credit?

The American Rescue Plan temporarily expands the child tax credit from $ 2,000 per child under 16 to $ 3,600 for children under 5 and to $ 3,000 for children under 17. If you have loved ones between the ages of 18 and 24 enrolled full-time in college, you can also get $ 500 each for them.

The temporary extension also makes the loan available to families in all US territories. Previously, the Refundable Balance was available to families in Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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Your tax questions were answered in 3 minutes

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The total amount your family could receive

Over 90% of families with children – from the lowest to the highest skilled income – receive an average benefit of $ 4,380, according to the Tax Policy Center. Half of the amount will be spent on a regular basis this year, starting this summer with roughly equivalent payments, and the second half next year when you file your taxes. Calculate your payment amount here.

You can find more information on other funding options here Appreciate your third stimulus check, how one Track your payment and what we know about a possible one fourth stimulus check so far.