Child Tax Credit Expanded for 2021!

There have been important changes to the Child Tax Credit that will help families receive advance payments starting this summer and You May be Eligible!

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for the 2021 tax year ONLY. If you’re eligible to receive the payments, you don’t need to take any action and you’ll receive a letter from the IRS with more details.

The expanded credit essentially means:

· The credit amounts will increase for many taxpayers.

· The credit for qualifying children is fully refundable. Taxpayers can benefit from the credit even if they don’t have earned income or don’t owe any income taxes. Go here to register as a Non-Filer: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool

· The credit will include children who turn age 17 in 2021.

· Taxpayers may receive up to half of their credit in 2021 before filing their 2021 tax returns.

For the 2021 tax year, families claiming the CTC can receive up to $3,000 per qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17. Any children under 6 will qualify for $3,600 per child. Under the prior law, the amount of the CTC was up to $2,000 per qualifying child under the age of 17 at the end of the year.

The increased amounts are reduced and are being phased out for incomes over $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return. This also applies to qualifying widows or widowers, $112,500 for heads of household, and $75,000 for all other taxpayers.

Expect to start receiving payments on July 15th. Payments will continue the 15th of each month until the end of December 2021. An online portal will be available to opt-out or add new babies born in 2021.

PRO TIP : Keep in mind this is an Advance Credit that may act to lower your refund when you file in 2022 (because you are getting funds in advance) or cause you to owe depending on other factors for your specific tax situation.

If you’d rather wait to receive all the increased funds with you file your taxes, you can opt-out or unenroll here: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal

For more information, call Taxpros+ at (949) 271-1200

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