How to get tax credit up to $3,600 per Child News

The full credit was not available to people who had enough income to pay income taxes.

As part of the $1.9 trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, President Joe Biden increased the program. He increased the payments to as high as $3,600 per child under 5 years old and $3,000 to those 6-17 years.

Monthly payments were $300 for children 5 years and under and $250 for those 5-17 years old.

The government began to send the payments out -- an overall $93 billion -- monthly starting in July. There are six additional months of payments that have yet to be claimed. Some families are still waiting to receive the benefits they deserve. An estimated $193 billion in benefits are still to be claimed.

You can only receive the money by filing a tax return.

Here are some questions and answers regarding who is eligible for the credit, and how to obtain it.

Who gets the CHILD TAX CODE?

In December, more than 36 million families received advanced payments. This was the last month in which advanced monthly payments were sent out to households. If their 2021 adjusted income is at or below $150,000, married couples filing joint returns, or $75,000 for single filers parents, families are eligible for full credit

HOW DO I KNOW I QUALIFY? AND WHAT IF i DON'T OWE ANY TAXES.

No matter if a family owes or has previously filed taxes, they must file a return in order to receive all or part of their money.

Families that did not receive advance child credit payments in 2021 may still be eligible to claim the entire amount of the child credit on their federal tax returns. Families who aren't sure if they have received any payments or if they may have received uncashed paper checks can visit the Children Tax Credit Update Portal to find out how much credit they should have received.

Families that have received advance payments must have received a letter 6419, 2021 advance CTC notice. This notice includes information about the amount received by families and tax information to file.

The IRS stated that some people may have submitted incorrect information. If you want to verify the amount that they have received, this portal will help. The IRS recommends that taxpayers keep the letter and any other IRS communications regarding advance payments with their tax records, despite any inconsistencies in documentation.

What is the best way to file?

To speed up the processing of taxes, the IRS encourages people to file electronically. It also provides links to free filing sites such GetYourRefund.org which allows families with incomes below $66,000 to file their taxes free of charge. This organization is a partner with IRS-certified Volunteer Income tax Assistance and offers free assistance in English and Spanish. Another option is MyFreeTaxes.com which offers virtual assistance for people earning $58,000 or less in order to file their state and federal taxes free of charge. This service is provided by the United Way.

An IRS tool can also be used to identify tax-filing sites.

What if I live outside the 50 states?

The coronavirus relief package also included child tax credit benefits to Puerto Rican residents, but they were not eligible for the monthly advance payments. Puerto Ricans can instead receive the maximum amount of child credit they are eligible for by submitting a federal income tax returns this year. Residents of American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Guam), Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands might also be eligible for full child tax credit payments. However, they will need to contact the local U.S. territory tax agency.

Who can help me solve this problem?

The IRS launched ChildTaxCredit.gov a website that lists the criteria filers must meet to be eligible for full credit. Beginning February 12, the federal agency will offer walk in assistance to individuals who need assistance filing taxes.