How can I Claim My Remaining Child Tax Credit (CTC) or Missing Dependent Stimulus Payment in 2022? IRS Refund Payment Delays

This article provides updates, income qualification thresholds and FAQs on current and past child tax credit (CTC) and dependent stimulus (economic impact) payments.

Each one has slightly different rules (and payment constraints) so please ensure you review each one separately and the associated FAQs/videos. Click the links below to jump to the relevant stimulus payment.

2022-2023 CTC

Without further extensions the Child Tax Credit (CTC) will return to normal levels and can only be claimed when filing your tax return, versus advance payments provided during the pandemic years.

The child tax credit (CTC) will reset to at $2,000 per child in 2022 and 2023. Families must have at least $3,000 in earned income to claim any portion of the credit and can receive a refund worth 15% of earnings above $3,000, up to $1,500 per child (Additional CTC).

See this article for the latest income thresholds and eligibility rules for getting the full CTC payment

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Claiming Remaining CTC Payment in your Tax Return (Reconcile Amounts)

Millions of households can now claim the remaining portion or any missing amounts of the expanded child tax credit in their 2021 tax return, which are now being processed by the IRS. This also includes any missing dependent stimulus payments.

Get your biggest tax refund, guaranteed. Get started today.

Non-filers or those who didn’t register last year can use the IRS CTC portal to provide information or unenroll from receiving monthly CTC payments. See more FAQs on the CTC payment in this detailed article.

Note that as in previous years, the CTC refund payment is subject to the PATH act delay. Further the IRS has noted issues with some of the reconciliation 6419 letters they sent out earlier this year outlining payments made in 2021.

In particular married spouses are getting separate letters but need to ensure they combine amounts if filing jointly. Another error was with a small group of taxpayers who moved or changed bank accounts in December. The IRS 6419 notice didn’t always account for this payment and so could be under reporting what you got.

The best option is to ensure your 6419 letter and online IRS CTC account reconcile. In fact the IRS guidance is that if they amounts don’t reconcile, go with the total amount reflected on the online IRS account because it has the most up-to-date information regarding the CTC.

You want to ensure the CTC portion claimed in your 2021-22 Tax return is consistent with that the IRS has. Otherwise your tax return and refund could be held up further for manual IRS verification.

IRS Payment Confirmation for CTC payment
IRS Payment Confirmation for Monthly Advance CTC Direct Deposits

California $500 Golden Stimulus Dependent Check

CA Governor Newsom recently announced, thanks to large state budget surplus’ and federal funding via the Biden ARPA stimulus package, another $12 billion in direct cash payments to Californians. This expansion, called the “Comeback Plan” is in addition to the recent Golden State Stimulus, provides $1100 in additional direct payments to middle-class families that make up to $75,000. It will provide $600 direct payments to adults. Qualified families with dependents, including undocumented families, will also be eligible for an additional $500 dependent payment. This will include dependents in undocumented families.

To get this payment you would have needed to file your 2020 tax return (state and federal). Income data (AGI) in your tax return will be the main source for determining eligibility for these payments. I will provide more updates as details and payment dates are released. You can follow along via the options below

Update on Third $1400 Dependent Stimulus Check

Under the now approved $1.9 Trillion Biden Stimulus Package, or American Rescue Plan (ARP), there are provisions included for another round of stimulus checks. The amount being paid for this third round of stimulus “checks” is $1400 for each dependent – the same as the third adult stimulus check.

Unlike earlier dependent stimulus payments which were restricted to those under the age of 17, the third stimulus check would go to a broader set of dependents that were claimed in an adult tax return. This includes college age children and elderly dependent parents. It will also allow people to use the later of 2019 or 2020 tax data (file your tax return via TurboTax to update dependent information) to ensure the latest dependent and payment information is leveraged by the IRS.

Note that even though adult dependents will qualify, the stimulus payment will still go to the parent or head of household who claims the dependent on their latest tax return. The adult claimant will also need to qualify for the stimulus payment which is based on the following income thresholds where the lower limit indicates the maximum amount of income (MAGI) to get the full stimulus payment, which is reduced until the maximum threshold (or phase-out) limit is reached. Almost 80% of households will qualify for a stimulus payment based on these thresholds.

2019 or 2020 Tax Filing StatusIncome Below Which FULL Stimulus is PaidMaximum Income To Qualify for Partial Stimulus
Single or Married filing separate$75,000$80,000
Head of household$112,500$120,000
Married filing jointly$150,000$160,000
2021 Third Dependent Stimulus Check Income Qualification and Phase-out Thresholds Limits

When Will I Get The $1400 Payment from the IRS?

Most eligible Americans and their dependents have received their stimulus payments (see the estimated IRS stimulus processing schedule). Payments will occur in several batches to most eligible recipients and are expected to be complete by mid-April for normally processed payments. Catch-up or “plus-up” payments are also being made to those who filed their return later and had a change on circumstance that allowed them to qualify for these payments.

Exception processing will start after that. You can see the comments section below for Q&A on payment issues and updates, which I do expect to occur again with this round of payments given the changed income qualification criteria and expansion to a broader set of dependents.

Note: Like the first and second dependent stimulus checks, I expect there to be ongoing issues with paying this round of stimulus payments. You can see a discussion of issues (and solutions) in this video.

Stimulus Payments for Non-Filer Dependents

For non-filers who haven’t filed a recent tax return, the IRS worked with relevant agencies (e.g. SSA for Social Security recipients) to get the latest payment and dependent data. There is also talk of a new non-filer tool the IRS would roll out to allow payment and dependent detail updates for this payment. This would also allow updates to flow through for other expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) stimulus payments in the ARP package. Or else the IRS will use payment and dependent details based on previous stimulus payments (which created issues for many).

Do College Age kids or Adult dependents get the payment directly?

Also note, you cannot claim the stimulus check as an adult and as a dependent. If you were claimed as a dependent in a 2019 or 2020 tax return, you cannot now file a claim for the larger stimulus check.

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Second Child Dependent Stimulus Check ($600)

[Update following initial IRS payments] In addition to adult stimulus checks (a.k.a 2020 Recovery Rebates) the recently passed $900 billion COVID relief bill includes another round of stimulus payments for adults and ALL qualifying dependent children under the age of 17 at the end of 2020. While the adult stimulus check amount was only $600, half of the original $1200 stimulus payment, in order to keep the overall stimulus package price tag reasonable for Republican Senators to approve, the new dependent stimulus payment will be $100 more at $600 per qualified dependent.

Eligibility for the $600 child dependent recovery rebate stimulus is still subject to (AGI) income limits, which were adjusted from original levels, as shown in the table below. The benefit will phase out or reduce by $5 (or 5%) for every $100 of income above the lower level threshold to get the full stimulus. For every additional dependent the maximum income threshold rises by $12,000 ($600 / 5%).

StatusIncome Below Which FULL Dependent Stimulus is Paid (Lower Threshold)Max Income To Qualify for Stimulus (no kids)Max Income to Qualify with 1 ChildMax Income to Qualify with 2 Children
Single or married filing separate$75,000$87,000$99,000$111,000
Head of household$112,500$124,500$136,500$148,500
Married filing jointly$150,000$174,000$186,000$198,000
Income ranges to receive up to $600 stimulus payment for qualifying children (see full table here)

Are Adult High School or College Age Dependents Covered?

Unfortunately the approved stimulus bill has not addressed this same criticism around the original $500 dependent stimulus (see updates and comments below) which excluded adult dependents from getting this payment. This includes thousands of college students and high school kids who are older than 17, but are still being claimed as a dependent by their parents or relative on their federal tax return, who will continue to be ineligible for the additional $600 payment. The one exception to this is that if you are a college student AND filed a single 2019 tax return AND were not claimed as a dependent on another adult’s tax return (file for free at Turbo tax), you may qualify for the $1200 adult stimulus check per standard rules.

When will I get the second $600 dependent stimulus payment?

Like the original dependent stimulus this payment will be made by the IRS to qualifying guardians who filed a 2019 recent tax return and claimed the child as dependent. Stimulus check 2 payments started on December 30th, 2020 per IRS guidance and dependent payments will be issued with the adult stimulus payment. Payments will occur in several batches to most eligible recipients within 1 to 2 weeks of the initial round and are expected to be complete by mid-January 2021 for normal processing. Exception processing will start after that. You can see the comments section below for Q&A on payment issues and updates.

Also I have posted two recent videos on this topic – one is a detailed review of the $600 Dependent Stimulus and a subsequent one is a Q&A for Issues People are Seeing with this Payment.

Dependents not in 2019 returns or born in 2020

Households that added dependents in 2020, who might not qualify for the dependent stimulus based on 2019 tax returns, would be able to claim this payment in their 2020 tax returns. The stimulus checks work like a refundable tax credit so are no additional taxes are due on them when filing your tax return.

While there is no limit to the number of qualifying dependents a tax payer can claim, the same dependent cannot be claimed twice for this payment and the IRS will this payment based on dependent information from 2019 tax returns.

$1,100 in Extra Stimulus For Parents with Babies Born in 2020 (when filing your taxes in 2021)

For parents who had babies this year, and who won’t be listed in 2019 tax returns, they will need to file a return (start for free at Turbo Tax) to claim their dependent payments. The good news is that all babies born this year will be eligible for both the original $500 dependent stimulus (details in earlier updates below) and the second $600 one being paid in 2021. This makes a total of $1,100 that parents could get for their newborns born in 2020. You will still need to meet income qualification thresholds for both dependent stimulus payment and will need to file a tax return; or for non-filers wait till the IRS opens it’s GMP tool to allow you to add dependents born this year.

The inclusion of the one-time stimulus payment however has also meant a cut in extra unemployment benefits that are also part of the overall package. You can also see more on this topic in the $600 Dependent Stimulus Check Video.

Issues with my Second Dependent Stimulus Check (Recovery Rebate) Payments

Like the first round of dependent payments (see updates below), many readers are reporting similar issues with the IRS payments for the second child dependent stimulus payment, despite having received their adult stimulus checks. At this point it is best to wait for the IRS to finish processing, especially if you had issues with the first round of payments. It is highly likely you will also get your dependent stimulus check later after the first round of “standard” payments is done in early to mid-January 2021. If you don’t have your payment you will need to check state on the IRS website, call their call center (later in January is better) or just file for this when you submit your 2020 tax return.


First Dependent Economic Stimulus Payment ($500)

[August 2020 update] This IRS has fixed certain stimulus payment issues (which were due to a programming errors) for non-filer groups, many of whom are yet to receive their first $500 dependent stimulus credit. The resolved $500 dependent stimulus (economic impact) payments were being seen by several eligible recipients from early August for each qualifying child.

Further the IRS has announced it will reopen the registration period – starting Aug. 15 through Sept. 30 – for eligible non-filing federal beneficiaries (e.g. SSDI, Retirees and SSI recipients) who were eligible for the $500 per child payments but had not filed or needed to update payment details to get their payment. Those who file (via the IRS Non-filer tool) and are deemed eligible should start seeing their payments by Mid-October.

For those Social Security, SSI, Department of Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries who have already used the Non-Filers tool to provide information on children, no further action is needed. The IRS will automatically make a payment in October.

The above is great news for those who were in limbo about their payment and hopefully addresses many of the comments below.


$500 Dependent Stimulus Credit Qualification Thresholds and FAQs

Updated in May 2020 with answers at the end of this article. Several readers have asked questions around the additional $500 child dependent stimulus payment approved under the CARES stimulus bill. This is in addition to the $1200 individual and $2400 couple stimulus checks being paid to qualifying Americans. To get the supplementary child stimulus check payment you must have filed a recent (2018 or 2019) tax return, claimed the child as dependent AND the child must be younger than 17-years-old. They must also be related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption. There is no limit to the number of dependents who can qualify for the additional $500 in one household.

[Updated answer to the 700+ comments] By far the most common comment I am seeing on this article is where parent(s) have received their $1200/$2400 stimulus check but did not get their $500 kid stimulus credit for one or more of their eligible dependent children. This reader comment is a good example of this, “My husband and I filed married filing jointly and claimed our two boys 10 , and 6. We have filed it this way for years! And we only received the stimulus for us and nothing for them! And we have no idea who to call or how to fix this. It was obviously an error. Which is understandable considering all the people they have to do this for. But I just wish there was a way we could get the extra $1,000. Before filing next year.”


You can scroll down to see further examples (and some underlying reasons) like this but at this point there is little recourse for most people to resolve this in the near future as the IRS is not taking calls on this.

This age limit to get the dependent stimulus check is much younger than what is used by the IRS in the qualifying child test where a child must be younger than 19 years old or be a “student” younger than 24 years old as of the end of the calendar year. Hence the confusion being caused for many trying to claim this stimulus payment. So just remember if your child or eligible dependent is 17 or over at the end of 2020 you cannot claim the stimulus dependent payment for them. The full qualifying criteria for this payment is shown below.

College and High School Seniors Dependents

Thousands of college students and high school kids who are older than 17, but are still being claimed as a dependent by their parents or relative on their federal tax return, are unfortunately ineligible for the additional $500 payment based on current rules.

However if you are a college student AND filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return (file for free at Turbo tax), you may qualify for the $1200 stimulus check per standard rules. Note that you can still file a tax return (and must, if you want to get a refund of federal or state tax withholding) AND be a dependent on your parents return. So many 17 to 26 year old’s who filed federal returns will still not get a stimulus payment because they are considered dependents on their parents return (and their parents likely received a $500 tax credit for their dependency on the original return).

A parent could technically file a revised tax return in which they no longer claim their college student (giving up $500) that would allow their child to claim the $1200 normal stimulus. This however may take a while to get paid out.

Grandparent, Step Parents and Relatives

It’s not uncommon for a grandparent, close relative or a step parent to claim a child living with them as a dependent. In these cases, the payment goes to the person who claimed that child as a dependent on the most recent tax return. They will still also have to meet the standard rules to qualify for the overall stimulus check payment. Just ensure multiple people don’t claim the same person as a dependent or like your tax refund, the stimulus payment could be delayed a long time as the IRS figures out the right person to pay.

$500 Payment

Most people who qualify for this payment will get it along with their stimulus check payment (direct deposit or check). The IRS has already started making these payments. In special circumstances or where the IRS needs to investigate further, the payment will come separately at a later date. This payment is not taxable and does not have to be paid back. You also won’t be required to repay any of the stimulus check even if your qualifying dependent turns 17 in 2020.

The one exception to this are for veterans or those who receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits or SSI and have a qualifying child. The IRS does not have their qualifying dependent information so they will have to explicitly register via the IRS’ Non Filers payment update tool by April 22nd to receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If beneficiaries in these groups do not provide their information they will have to wait until later in the year to receive their $500 per qualifying child payment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I am getting several hundred questions on this topic! Based on the IRS website and what I am seeing across several other reputable sites, I have tried to group and answer some of more common questions. Please consider this informational as everyone has a unique tax and life situation.

If parents or the primary filer does not qualify for $1200/$2400 stimulus check can they still get the $500 dependent stimulus?

It depends and the IRS guidelines are not very clear on for this. The ruling is that eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive an economic impact payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples AND up to $500 for each qualifying child. So it appears that both parents have to be eligible under standard rules to get the dependent stimulus.

Note that the entire stimulus payment is subject to the income phase out – $5 for every $100 between the lower and higher Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) range – shown in the table below.

But where it gets a little complicated is that if you have kids, the maximum AGI threshold limits to get some of the $500 stimulus rise since your phase out limit is tied to your credit ($5 of credit for every $100 AGI). This allows you add $10,000 to your AGI limit for every child you claim as a dependent.

For example if your income was exactly $99,000 as a single (or $198,000 joint) and you had no kids it would completely disqualify you for the standard $1,200 (or $2,400). But if you had two kids and were married filing jointly in 2019 you would still get some type of the $500 dependent stimulus until your AGI reaches $218,000.

StatusIncome Below Which FULL Dependent Stimulus is PaidMax Income To Qualify for Stimulus (no kids)Max Income to Qualify with 1 ChildMax Income to Qualify with 2 Children
Single or married filing separate$75,000$99,000$109,000$119,000
Head of household$112,500$136,500$146,500$156,000
Married filing jointly$150,000$198,000$208,000$218,000
Income ranges to receive up to $500 stimulus payment for qualifying children

Why didn’t I get the child dependent stimulus payment I was expecting

This is by far the most common theme I see questions around. While everyone has a unique situation when it comes to a qualifying dependent here are some answers I found from my research on why you didn’t get a payment or where it was much lower than expected. I have also addressed questions in the many comments below so please review those before adding a new one.

Your child was claimed by someone else according to IRS records. In this case you won’t get the $500 payment and will need to lodge a claim with the IRS (process still to be confirmed).

While you may have qualified for the stimulus payment based on income thresholds (shown above) your dependent child wasn’t qualified per IRS records and CARES stimulus rules summarized below. This is even more strict than the Child Tax Credit (CTC) criteria.

  • They must be related to you (blood, marriage, or adoption) 
  • They must either be under the age of 17 by the end of 2020
  • You must claim them as a dependent on your tax return 
  • They cannot provide more than half of their financial support during the tax year and must have lived with you for at least half of the year
  • They must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or a U.S. resident alien 

Note if you didn’t qualify for the CTC in your 2018 or 2019 tax return, you will not qualify for this stimulus payment either!

You get Social Security retirement, disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits or SSI. Per the section above you need to take an extra step and explicitly register via the IRS’ Non Filers payment update tool to receive the $500 per dependent child payment

Children born or adopted in 2020 or Change in Dependent status

If you had or adopted a child in 2020 or there was a change in dependent status since your 2019 tax filing the parent or qualifying relative could still be eligible for the $500 payment. But it will not be paid in via the current batch of stimulus check payments and will instead need to be claimed in your 2020 tax return as an additional credit. This is because the IRS is basing stimulus check payments on information from your 2019 or 2018 tax return, which won’t reflect children born or adopted this year, or any change in dependent status.

Past-due child support and garnishment lowered payment

The $500 child stimulus, like the regular adult stimulus payment, can be offset only by past-due child support or can be garnished by creditors once it hits your bank account. Both these reasons could mean a lowered stimulus payment that may look like you didn’t get the $500 additional kid stimulus. You will need to wait for a letter from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service to confirm the offset. For garnishments you will need to check with your bank to see which creditors have taken this payment.

IRS payment errors and missing dependent payments

The most common error I am seeing across the comments on this article is around the following examples:

“I claimed my [son or daughter] for [2018 or 2019] taxes and didn’t receive $500! What’s going on?????

My husband and I received 1200 each but nothing for our 13 year old son. We are under the income guidelines, no child support involved, and he has always been claimed on our taxes. I sure hope there is a solution to this soon. It’s so strange that this has happened to so many people.

We received our $2400.00 stimulus check on April 15, but didn’t get the additional $500 for our son/daughter. Is there something additional I need to fill out?”

So today I finally received my 1200 stimulus payment, which was suppose to be 1700 with the 500 for my son who is 8. I filed my taxes with him as a dependent and don’t understand why I did not receive the 500!! This is pretty heartbreaking that our country is falling apart and the only money I had coming in to support us during this time I didn’t even receive the full amount.

I used the IRS non filers tool to get my stimulus check. I received the $1200 stimulus payment, but did not receive the dependent portion for my 8 year old son. Upon review of the 1040 form I downloaded after submitting my personal information for my son and I, using the IRS Non-Filers Tool. I noticed that the box for the child tax credit was not [✔]checked off. Even though my son does qualify for the dependent stimulus payment. This is definitely an error on the IRS side. Checking the box was not an option when filling out the form online. It was something that had to be done when the form was generated using the tool. Anyway, my theory is that the “box” not being checked is the reason myself and many others did not receive their dependent portions of the stimulus payments.

Readers have left several comments along these lines and at a high level it looks the IRS is either not paying the $500 correctly for qualifying dependents or missing payments for families with multiple dependents, despite the adults getting the standard $1200 or $2400 stimulus.

But even if you do see a clear error or miss in your payments it might be difficult to get a hold of someone in the IRS to correct the issue in the near future. This is because the IRS teams are focused on getting the remaining stimulus payments out and have staffing constraints due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 related absences.

Also note if the IRS is still processing your 2019 tax return or refund it will likely use your 2018 tax return data to process this stimulus payment, so if your dependent information changed between your 2018 and 2019 return (e.g you had a kid) you may have a missed payment that would have been accounted if your 2019 tax return had actually been processed.

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Can I contact the IRS for Stimulus Check Payment Issues or Errors?

The IRS has been mailing Economic Impact Payment (EIP) letters to each eligible recipient’s last known address 15 days after the stimulus check payment is made. It was supposed to provide details on how the payment was made and how to report any failure or underpayments (e.g a way to report the missing $500 payment). Unfortunately the letter has been of little help as discussed in this article. It provides a number to call which gets you an automated line that directs you to the IRS website for details. But if you stay on the line you can get connected to an IRS representative (after a long wait) to discuss general questions about the payment and your situation. See details and numbers to call in this article.

Update – The IRS has confirmed that those who did not receive the full amount of stimulus payment they believe they were entitled to – including the $500 child dependent payment – will need to claim the additional amount when they file their 2020 tax return. This is tough news for many families who needed/expected the $500 payment as soon as possible and were hoping to get a supplementary or corrective payment in the mail sometime in the near future. You’ll now need to wait till 2021 when you file your tax return to fix this.

For VA and SSI recipients who don’t have a filing requirement and have a child, they need to use the Non-Filers tool (see above) to have the $500 added automatically to their standard stimulus check payment.

It has also been nearly impossible to contact the IRS via numbers provided in the EIP for your issues with the $500 child stimulus per this article. But also note that the IRS will not contact you about your stimulus check payment details either. Watch out for scams and people trying to steal this information from you in the name of expediting your Economic Impact Payments.

Finally you will also likely be able to claim any missing payments in your 2020 tax return. All this unfortunately will mean delays in getting your stimulus payment until issues are worked through.

Now everyone has different tax and dependent situations so I first suggest you review the above FAQs in this article to ensure you meet income and qualifying dependent criteria per your most recently filed tax return. You can also search for many articles on this website for commonly reported stimulus check errors. Before leaving a comment see what others have written and lessons learned. And most of all, be nice to each other.

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951 thoughts on “How can I Claim My Remaining Child Tax Credit (CTC) or Missing Dependent Stimulus Payment in 2022? IRS Refund Payment Delays”

  1. My Kids dad died after claiming our kids as a dependent. I got a check for his 1,400 as well as our 5 kids the day after he passed in his name. How do I get my kids stimulus now?

    Reply
    • Yes I didn’t get none of my stimulus checks and I’m yes I didn’t get none of my stimulus checks and I’m on SSI and I’ve been needing it cuz I’ve been looking for a place

      Reply
  2. I agree with Gale, and sorry Margery, you’re incorrect. Yes, the government “screwed up” but you can’t cheat the system. Maybe you’ll get away with it but you can’t credit it twice. I wouldn’t want to sign THAT tax return, as a preparer.

    Reply
  3. Wondering how to enter, If my parent received $1400 payment for a dependent adult college student in 2021. When filing my taxes it asks if I received it, I did not receive but my parents did so do I answer the question that I received it or not? If I say yes it wants to know amount on the IRS form I won’t receive. My parents received IRS form and have entered the amounts on their taxes. If I say no it credits me the $1400. Not sure what to do.

    Reply
    • You didn’t receive it so the correct answer is No.

      The government made this mess. Let them clean it up if they can.

      Reply
      • It doesn’t matter who received it, it’s under the child’s social. So, you would answer “Yes” even thou you did not receive it. You will be entered into a “Tiebreaker Rule”. If you answers No and your have the child, you will receive credit twice…

        Reply
        • It’s not tied to the dependents SSN. I foster and had different dependents. All the calculations do is match how much you received vs the number of qualifying dependents you are currently claiming.

        • I agree with Gale, and sorry Margery, you’re incorrect. Yes, the government “screwed up” but you can’t cheat the system. Maybe you’ll get away with it but you can’t credit it twice. I wouldn’t want to sign THAT tax return, as a preparer.

  4. My daughter turned 19 in November and has been living on her own since she was 18. She didn’t receive a stimulus check not one and her dad says he didn’t receive em for her either. What can she do to get the stimulus check/s? I’m just trying to help her as much as possible.

    Reply
  5. I have an 19 year old that is still in school about to graduate this year and it’s going straight to college I did not receive any child child credit for the dependent.. I do claim him as a dependent because I pay all his expenses. No one else claims the method dependent either. Is the IRS going to be providing a credit for that dependent?

    Reply
  6. My ex is claiming one our son, and I’m claiming a second son. Both kids live with me. He pays child support, but do not help with dr’s visits, or any other kid’s activity. Can I receive the stimulus check?

    Reply
    • If they both live with you full time and he sees them only once in a while, you can claim Head of Household on your Tax Return and can claim both of them as dependents (as you should, since it is the true fact of the situation), and your ex can deduct his child support for a portion of the total annual expense from his tax filing. His Tax Consultant should be able to help him file for his deductions correctly. If this is the true circumstances of the living conditions for you and your family, then those are your legal rights by tax law.

      Unless you are trying to keep things unconflicted and at an amicable state with your ex for your children’s sake (and I completely understand if this is the situation), then I would take what is justifiable and what you deserve and have earned! You pay most of the expenses and support for two children when they in fact live with you on a full time basis. What he pays in child support, I’d be willing to bet doesn’t even put a dent in what the overall costs are to take care of them. Do the math! It would probably add another $3400 – $3900 towards your return each year on your tax filing.

      HOWEVER, if each of you claims 1 child each on your individual tax filing, then the answer is a sad, “no”, you won’t be able to claim a stimulus benefit for both of them; only for the one that you in fact claim on your tax forms……sorry!

      GOOD LUCK!

      Reply
  7. My mother claimed my son without my permission.
    We both live in her home,however I pay her rent,I buy food for me and my son (not food stamps I pay out of pocket)
    I support my son. She filed her taxes before me and claimed him,so when I went to file mine they got rejected. I had to file them by mail. I was told that the irs would catch the issue and contact us both to address the issue…but so far she has gotten her money plus is getting the stimulus money for my son.
    I’m still waiting to see where my tax return is.
    Anyone have any advice on what I can do?

    Reply
    • CALL THEM!!!! The IRS Customer Service Line, and wait on Hold for as long as you have to, to get through to a Live person and ask them what is up!!!!!
      OR…
      Contact the Tax Consultant that did your taxes for you and insist on his assistance in resolving this matter. That is what they are there for. They are obligated to not only just completing your Return for you, but following up with any problems and/or issues of conflict that need resolution……

      Reply
      • Do you pay more than 50% of all living expenses (mortgage/rent, gas,, electric, phone, cable, food, clothing etc)?

        Reply
  8. I have a question: My ex and I split “claiming” years. I claimed for 2019. He claimed for 2020. I was written this way in the divorce. BUT I have full custody, he has no parental rights. So, who will get the stimulus for our daughter?

    Reply
    • He will likely get it if you do nothing since he had the “latest” tax return, but according to the IRS you can do the following so you get the payments next year.

      Agree with your qualifying child’s other parent to allow you to claim that child for the Child Tax Credit for 2021. You must receive from your child’s other parent a signed Form 8332, Release/Revocation of Release of Claim to Exemption for Child by Custodial Parent, and attach it to your 2021 tax return on which you claim the Child Tax Credit.

      Your ex should also consider using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal on the IRS site to unenroll from receiving advance Child Tax Credit payments, or to remove that child from his Child Tax Credit information provided to the IRS.

      Reply
  9. So the expanded rules added children age 17 (previously 16). However, when I input the information into the IRS non-filer tool webpage, I receive a rejection error stating that my 17-year-old does not qualify. I’m wondering if the tool does not reflect the recent expansion to include children age 17?

    Reply
    • The child needs to be 17 when the year ends. Did your child turn 17 this year or will they be 18 by 12/31/2021?

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  10. My son is 17 but will be 18 in 3 days. He lives with his grandfather, but he was claimed by my brother on their taxes in 2019. My daughter is 5 but is living with my mother-in-law, who also claimed her on her taxes. I have received $16,000 in stimulus. Will I get the child tax credit for my son? What happens if I owe back taxes to the state of West Virginia? Also, is there going to be a 4th stimulus?

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  11. My eight-month-old daughter was born in August 2020 she was not on my tax records until I filed of May 2021 will I receive a third stimulus check for her and if so how much

    Reply
    • Yes. It depends on your income per the article. If you are below the threshold you will get the full amount. Or if you got the full stimulus for yourself then you will get the dependent stimulus.

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  12. My adult son lives with me, has no income for last year, and I claimed him as a qualifying relative dependent for 2020. He filed his own taxes for 2019 and they automatically sent him stimulus checks based on 2019. But now he has filed 2020 with “can be claimed as a dependent” checked. Will he have to return his stimulus checks?

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  13. If my son turned 17 on October 6, 2020 – was he eligible for the first stimulus check? We received the second and third payment but not the first one. It is not allowing us to get the missing payment when we file our 2020 taxes.

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  14. So my question is,im an adult but claimed on my parents as a dependent(as an Amendment) because we all live in the same home but I don’t work…the 1400 stimulus was received for everyone but myself.will they still get the 1400 for me or not?

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  15. We received the third 1400 stimulus for everyone in our family in March, a lump some for 8400. In April, each of our 4 children received a separate 1400 in each of their names deposited into our bank account. Due to job loss, remote schooling, etc, our income dropped drastically. We have been relying on credit cards to cover necessities. We really could use this money. Is this additional money in our children’s names ours to use?

    Reply
    • So sorry about your significant loss of income. We’ve been there!

      Yes, my understanding is that the money is there for families with children to use on whatever is needed!

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  16. The IRS based the third EIP on my 2019 tax return where I claimed my mother as dependent. I received $2800 total for myself and dependent. However, my mom received her own $1400 as a recipient SSDI beneficiary. My tax advisor informed me, I will need to return the extra $1400 received for the dependent (I’m prepared to do) but has anyone experience this issue and what other tax advise was provided. Thanks!

    Reply
    • In a similar situation. Haven’t spoken to anyone yet. Interested in seeing how this 8s going to be handled.

      Reply
        • Thanks Tracy. I mailed the check this past weekend. I contacted the IRS EIP dedicated line; and was provided the address, instructions on how to make out the payment with an explanation letter. I know when things settle down, the IRS will more than likely find out. Better to be safe, than sorry.

    • I had a similar issue too. I receive SSDI for my disability and I also get a benefit for my 15-year-old. The last two years my oldest daughter has claimed my 15 year old on her taxes. The third stimulus check my oldest daughter received a $1400 check and one for Claiming her as a dependent. My stimulus check came this month and I had two separate deposits for 1400. I didn’t realize My oldest got it for a dependent and by that time I and spent it my stimulus checks??? Stupid!! As I’m on disability can they just take out payments each month? Because I am disabled and I don’t work. Help

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      • Just to Clarify. The reason my oldest daughter claimed my youngest the last two years is due to my health issues so she did help take care and live with her 80% of the time.

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  17. So I filed my taxes early and didnt realize I left my nephew off my taxes. So I had to wait until the 26th to amend my taxes and it just so happens that they sent my 3rd stimulus payment out that day. So what do I do to receive a stimulus payment for my nephew? Will the IRS automatically add the payment to my amended tax return amount?

    Reply
  18. We just finalized a Domestic Adoption in the Phils in Aug. 2020. MY husband and I are both US citizens but living in the Phils for this adoption. We file taxes jointly and now that we have finalized our adoption, is our daughter eligible to receive a Stimulus check at all? She doesn’t have a SSN yet or ITIN.

    Reply
  19. 2019 my daughter was a dependent, 2020 she was not. She is 19, has her own place and job. When she filed for 2020, she retroactively received the first two stimulus. She also just received the 3rd stimulus.

    My wife and I have received the first two stimulus, and did not received any dependent stimulus. (this was expected since our dependent was exempt because of age). We have not filed for our 2020 taxes, and my wife and I received the stimulus, but we also received an extra $1400, since she was a dependent in 2019. I know I will most likely have to pay that back, since she is no longer a dependent. I am actually surprised by this since she filed already. I would have thought her SSN would red flag the system so that didn’t happen.

    Reply
    • My situation is exactly the same.. I received an extra $1400 for my son who was my dependent in 2019, but not in 2020. He filed on his own in February. I’ve not filed yet. They obviously went according to my 2019 instead of his 2020 filing, which they say is still processing. He wants his $1400 and I don’t blame him, but I don’t feel that I can give it to him because the IRS is probably going to want me to give mine back. They might eventually send it to him after both our 2020 taxes are processed, but if they do that, they more than likely will expect me to pay back or penalize my returns next year when I file the 2121. It sure would be nice to know for certain. I have heard that there is no law that implies a penalty or requirement to pay back a credit. Can someone please provide guidance on this?

      Reply
      • tHE INFORMATION BELOW IS DIRECTLY FROM THE IRS WEBSITE:

        I received a Third Economic Impact Payment. Do I need to pay back all or some of the third payment if, based on the information reported on my 2021 tax return next year, I don’t qualify for the amount that I already received? (added March 26, 2021)

        No, there is no provision in the law that would require individuals who qualify for a Third Economic Impact Payment or an additional payment based on their 2020 or 2019 information, to pay back all or part of the payment if, based on the information reported on their 2021 tax returns, they would have qualified for a lesser amount.

        Reply
    • I’m in the same boat with a twist. 2020 will be the first time my daughter files taxes, and the first time that we won’t claim her as a dependent. Looks like she will retroactively get the first two stimulus payments ($1800 total). I’m confused as to the third.
      Dane – you are saying that your daughter received the full $1400 third stimulus shortly after filing – is that correct?
      Our 2019 joint AGI is within that magic 150K-160K range, so our 3rd stimulus was far lower than $1400 each – it was closer to about $400 for each of us and our daughter. I’m hoping that if my daughter gets the full $1400 3rd stimulus payment, and IF the IRS requires us to pay back her 3rd stimulus payment we received on her behalf, that we will only have to pay back the reduced $400 amount.

      Reply
  20. My husband and I received ours and our dependents first and second stimulus payments without issue via direct deposit. We have always been in the first batch and received it right away. For the third stimulus we both received ours but NOT our dependents. Nothing has changed and we already filed and received our 2020 tax refunds. Anyone else experiencing this?

    Reply
    • My situation is the same I have 5 children and I received my stimulus but none of theirs and I filed taxes before this stimulus ever went out or was in the news. I haven’t heard anything about how this problem is expected to be fixed either.

      Reply
    • We have the same issue we have legal custody of 4 of our grandchildren and have claimed them as dependents since 2004 we received our stimulus payments however nothing for the dependents, we already received our refund for 2020, but to this day nothing for the dependents and each day we continue to watch for direct depositis

      Reply
  21. can someone please tell me if I should get the stimulus for my daughter who turned 18 in Sept and is a senior in high school? I support her completely and carry her on my taxes every year.

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  22. My daughter is 17 and moved in with me in November after her father was arrested for domestic violence against her. I did not have her for 6 months to claim her for 2020 so how do I get the 1400 stimulus for her?

    Reply
    • If her father claims her, he will get the $1,400 for her. She may be able to do the non-filer option or, if she had any kind of income, she can file her own taxes.

      Reply
  23. how will this work for parents who alternate claiming a child on tax return? last year return mother claimed child and received the first and second stimulus. This year tax return father claimed child, Will father receive the third one?, Are they going by this years tax return?

    Reply
    • They are going by 2020 or 2019, whichever was filed the latest. So if 2020 dependent information changed and the tax return has been approved/processed by the IRS, that’s who gets the third stimulus payment.

      Reply
    • My question as well, my daughter was claimed by someone else last year but I am claiming her this year. This entire thing is so confusing, it’s almost frustrating, these articles keep saying file for it on your taxes but 90% of people have already filed.

      Reply
      • Enjoying these alerts in my email! I have been SO flustered trying to get it all figured out. My sons dad just got every other year for taxes but that is it. My son is special needs, lives with me, resides with me majority of time and I’m the one who can’t work due to his disability and care taking. His father is totally selfish unfortunately so I’m trying to make sure my son and I get what we deserve as ONLY his dad saw the first and second stimulus for dependents. Following and hoping for an answer!

        Reply
  24. My son was born in 2019, didn’t claim him on any income tax. I did the form to claim him to receive $600, but with the 3rd stimulus it mentions they would use the 2019 or 2020 income tax, which I didn’t claim him. Do I need to do a nonfilers to make sure we get the 1200 for the 3rd stimulus check?

    Reply
  25. I had custody of my nephew in 2020 until the end of November when he turned 18. We claimed him on our taxes for 2020 as a dependent since he in fact was a minor dependent in our care for almost the entire year. With the new stimulus, since he is now 18 how does that work. Will they send it to us since he was filed as a dependent in 2020 or will he have to request it on his own?

    Reply
  26. I received the first stimulus payment for myself as a direct deposit and then a check a couple months later for my dependent. The second stimulus payment for me came by check. I read that I might need to file a tax return even though I don’t generally. I went to turbo tax and filled out the form. When asked about the stimulus payments, i entered 1700 for the first and 600 for the second. It informed me that I had received all i was allowed. What happened to my dependent’s second payment?

    Reply
    • Mine tried to say that too, but it let me continue. It told me I was entitled to the 600 so I’ve already done it and processed it and turned it in. I suggest going back and going over everything again

      Reply
  27. I allowed someone to claim my kids on their taxes 2 years straight. So now they receive the stimulus payments for my kids. That’s a problem because my kids live with me 24/7. How can I get my kids stimulus payments under my name?

    Reply
        • I did the same thing because we were staying with them and I was threatened that if I didn’t allow them to claim my boys, we’d be living on the street. I really don’t need to hear how I should’ve stood up for myself or should’ve done this or that, if I would have felt like I had a choice, I obviously wouldn’t have allowed it. But my boys have been with me and I have taken care of them and now these people are getting the money that I desperately need. Can I stop this or is it too late?

  28. I havent got my kids second stimulus check yet i got the 1040 forms but i dont know how to filled out so can i please get some help we are homeless and we need it

    Reply
  29. It is now on irs.gov the tool to file to get your dependents money, you use this if you do not file taxes. Or probably if you file your taxes online anyway.

    Reply
  30. I have a question. We got our stimulus payment the first time. For me and my husband and his son and our son, but he has a daughter who he pays child support for. He doesn’t owe any back child support. Can we get the $500 for her too. I read somewhere last year we could but I can’t find anything about it now.

    Reply
  31. I didint get my dependents 600 and have 2 other kids i need to add there ssi number to get it how can i add my 2 kids to get the check thanks

    Reply
  32. I have 3 dependents. One of which turned 17 on august 31 2020. I received my first stimulus payment for all 3 of my kids based on my 2019 tac return. My second stimulus of 2,400 was sent to a closed account and irs will not be issuing another check, i will have to file the recovery rebate. So, will I still received the 2,400???

    Reply
    • My daughter turned 17 on Aug 1st 2020 but like you, I had to claim the stimulus rebate when I did my taxes a few weeks ago and No….you won’t get the additional dependant money because they are using your 2020 return info. It’s incredibly unfair because people with kids that turned 17 several months before ours will get the money for their kids all because their account was still the same or the IRS were willing to mail them a paper check but not us. My account was also closed and that’s why I didn’t get the second one. The IRS refused to mail paper checks to us with closed accounts but they issued them to everyone else. Pardon my language but it’s total bullshit we get penalized while everyone else with 17 year olds gets the money and what’s even more bullshit is anyone that had a baby at any point in 2020 also gets the money. If u had a baby born one min before midnight Dec 31st…u get the money for a kid that spent 1 minute in 2020. But those of us with 17 years olds and closed bank accounts are getting singled out for this b.s. not to mention a lot of people will be allowed to claim back stimulus money due to rule changes but again….not us with closed accounts. We aren’t worthy

      Reply
  33. Hello hoping someone can help me and have an answer I received my adult$600 payment but still haven’t got my $600 dependent check yet. The first stimulus checks came how this one did I got mine first and my dependent check came later I’m thinking that’s what is going to happen this time however things I’ve been reading some are making it sound like I should have received one check for $1200 both mine n and my dependent. So just wondering if anyone knows that I’m correct in thinking I should be expecting my dependent check soon as a separate one from mine like I did last time

    Reply
  34. I got my $600 from the second stimulus check but did not receive the $600 for my 12 yr old I’m praying it comes before the deadline!!!!

    Reply
    • Hi same I received mine but not my dependent last time with the first stimulus check I got 2 separate checks one for me and one for my son I’ve been reading so many different things so do you know if their saying the second one the dependent one will arrive before Jan 15th? If not I don’t understand what we need to do if it doesn’t

      Reply
  35. I am a grandparent raising 4 grandchildren all under the age of 10 Have been raising them for 3 years now i received the last stimulus checks for myself and the kids this time it came on my pay card which is government issued because I am on ssi But nothing for the kids When we got our 1st stimulus last year mine came in a check and the kids came on my pay card this time the $600 came on my pay card for me but nothing for the kids I don’t know what is going on or why they would not go ahead and put the kids on there also or if the grandkids will even get it this time any ideas?

    Reply
  36. My son is 18 years old. He isnt claimed as a dependent on any tax return and should qualify for the second stimulus check but when I go on the IRS site to the payment tool it says they are still working on it or he may not receive. He was 17 yrs old when the first round of stimulus checks went out which they left out that age group which wasnt ok at all!! But I still went on the non filers tool and tried to register him but it wouldnt let me. Now the tool is not open so how can anyone that turned 18 in the past 8 months regsiter to receive it. He isnt a dependent on any tax return.

    Reply
  37. I received my $600 but not for my 4yr old daughter. During the first round i received both of our checks at the same time. This time i only received $600. I really hope that other $600 comes before the 15th we need it bad.bills past due. Shes growing out of clothes. How do you make it work??? If i dont receive the $600 stimulus for my daughter can i claim it on my taxes??? Stressed n struggling single mom. Idk what to do.

    Reply
    • The first stimulus I got 2 separate checks I got my 1200$ and weeks later my $500 dependent now this time I received mine but not my son’s yet I’m confused about the Jan 15th thing so if we don’t get our dependent check by then then what

      Reply
  38. I did not receive payment for my 3 kids they are all under the age of 8. Me and my husband received our $600 each but nothing for our children. How do we find out when they will process payments for my kids?

    Reply
    • Crazy the first one they still owe me 1200.. i knew this one would be messedd up and it was..600 and zero for my kids even tho they partly fixed first one.., no way to call or do anything

      Reply
  39. also didn’t get the $600 payment for my son who is under 17, not sure what to do about it. i read the January 15 estimate but it’s pretty awful considering employment is impossible to find at this time in my state due to the pandemic and his birthday is January 16. had the same problem last year and didn’t receive anything for him until October of 2020

    Reply
  40. Same for me. Missing $600…We are a family of 3 and only got paid for 2 ppl ($1200) The funny thing is, in April the payment was correct? What gives? Shouldn’t this be automatic based on the 2019 tax return, which I assume the first payment was based on?

    Reply
    • Same for me. I received my $600 today, but nothing for my son who in 2019 was 8/9, and I file head of household. Make no where near the $75,000 max for even a single person. I received mine and his the first time with no issues. Seems this is a big issue this time as many are stating they got their’s but not their children’s. I just pray it comes before the 15th.

      Reply
      • I haven’t recieved for my 2 dependents either yAll. So we are in the same boat. I sure HOPE we all get OUR dependent pay before the 15th. JUST not fair !!
        I too received mines. But not for my littles. I also don’t get why they can’t get it right & just distribute it all together& correctly . Irs should’ve LEARNED from this very same issue from the first time. They expect us to do taxes and such / take that accidental millions of dollars deposits last year in random peoples accounts really quick & fast & no problems …. but they can Lag & Drag here& now again!??
        We Americans have dealt with enough suffering & waiting thru their games.

        Reply
    • Its a shame we are suffering having a low income and then not receive the dependant stimulus is hurting us . We are in need of help. GOD PLEASE SEND THE PEOPLE THERE HELP AMEN

      Reply

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