Many eligible families and individuals have not claimed advance Child Tax Credits or the Third Stimulus payment due to them under the American Rescue Plan. Families have until November 15, 2022 to claim the credit. Nearly 90% of children in the U.S. are eligible for the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides up to $3,600 per child. Additional income like the CTC is associated with stronger educational performance, improved health, and reduced stress among kids in families with low incomes.
Code For America has created a tool, GetCTC.org, to reduce barriers for people who do not meet filing requirements for federal taxes. This tool enables people to claim the Child Tax Credit and third stimulus payment (up to $5,000 per eligible child) without filing a tax return – and people can sign up in 15 minutes or less on their mobile devices in English or Spanish. People must file before November 15 to easily get this money this year.
While the tax filing deadline for advance payments has passed, families with no or low incomes can still file without penalty and claim the full CTC (or the remaining half if they received 2021 advance payments). Families have until mid-November to claim the advance credit. After that, families can still claim the 2021 CTC, but must file full tax returns. They have until April 15, 2025, to do so. Claiming the advance CTC could lower your refund amount on 2021 tax returns.
