$3000/$3600 Child tax credit: how to check if it has been received and track its status
With payments arriving today many will be wondering how long it will take before the IRS sends the money to bank accounts across the US.
9 out of 10 payments will be made electronically to Americans' bank accounts automatically, meaning it is likely that in the next few days you will see the credit appear in your account.
Bank account details are taken, in order of preference, from:
- Your 2020 tax return.
- Your 2019 tax return, including information that may have been entered into the Non-Filer tool on IRS.gov in 2020.
- A federal agency that provides you benefits, such as: Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Railroad Retirement Board.
Currently the IRS will not be sending prepaid debit cards as they did for some of the stimulus check payments, but that may be an option in the future.
If the IRS does not have bank account information to issue you a direct deposit, they will send your advance Child Tax Credit payments by mail.
How long does the IRS say it will take for the Child Tax Credits to arrive?
For bank deposits the IRS says the transfers should arrive within three business days.
“With direct deposit, it’s always good to check with your bank to make sure there isn’t a delay, for some reason,” said IRS spokesman Eric Smith.
If your credit is being sent by mailed check then it could take one to to weeks to arrive. The speed of arrival relies on how quickly the postal service delivers your check.
The IRS says 9 out of 10 people will have received the credit within 21 days.
How do you track the progress of your credit?
The IRS has limited live help due to a tax return backlog, along with sending out stimulus checks and unemployment tax refunds.
It will be worth waiting a few days as per the reasons listed above if you have queries.
You can find answers to frequently asked questions, check eligibility and see if you have a processed payment on the IRS website. At the moment, the IRS does not have a phone number for Child Tax Credit questions.
How much will families receive per child?
Taxpayers with children ages 5 and under, will receive a credit of $ 3,600 per child. For children ages 6 to 17, that credit will be $3,000.
This means monthly payments of $300 or $250 depending on a child’s age.
Important dates for changing your data or your enrolment
| Date You Can Make Changes | What You Can Do |
|---|
Important dates for changing your data or your enrolment
- Find out if you're eligible
- Unenroll from payments
- See a list of your payments
Important dates for changing your data or your enrolment
- Make changes to your bank information for your payments beginning in August
Important dates for changing your data or your enrolment
- Make changes to your address
Important dates for changing your data or your enrolment
- Make changes to your dependents, marital status and income
- Re-enroll if you previously unenrolled
Who is eligible?
The new credit is available to taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) of:
- $75,000 or less for singles,
- $112,500 or less for heads of household and
- $150,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return and qualified widows and widowers.
That includes 88% of American families.