IRS: August Child Tax Credit Payment On The Way

PORTLAND, Ore. – The IRS says millions of American families should now be receiving their August Child Tax Credit payment.

This is the second batch of month payments to about 36 million families.

Most of the payments will be sent via direct deposit.

Here are further details on these payments:

• Families will see the direct deposit payments in their accounts starting today, Aug. 13. Like the first payments, the vast majority of families will receive these payments by direct deposit.
• The IRS wants to alert some recipients who received direct deposits in July that they will receive the August payments by mail. Due to an issue expected to be resolved by the September payments, a percentage of these recipients – less than 15% – who received payments by direct deposit in July will be mailed paper checks for the August payment. For those affected, no additional action is needed for the September payment to be issued by direct deposit. Families can visit the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to see if they’re receiving a direct deposit or paper check this month.
• For those receiving their payments by paper check, be sure to allow extra time for delivery by mail through the end of August.  Those wishing to receive future payments by direct deposit can make this change using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal (https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal), available only on IRS.gov. To access the portal or to get a new step-by-step guide for using it, visit IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021. A change made by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 will apply starting with the September payment.
• Payments went to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 income tax return. Returns processed by Aug. 2 are reflected in these payments. This includes people who don’t typically file a return but during 2020 successfully registered for Economic Impact Payments using the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov or in 2021 successfully used the Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC, also available only on IRS.gov.
• Payments are automatic. Aside from filing a tax return, including a simplified return from the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, families don’t have to do anything if they are eligible to receive monthly payments. The Non-Filer Sign-Up tool is available until October 15, 2021.
• Families who did not get a July payment and are getting their first monthly payment in August will still receive their total advance payment for the year. This means that the total payment will be spread over five months, rather than six, making each monthly payment larger. For these families, each payment is up to $360 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $300 per month for each child ages 6 through 17
• Additionally, the IRS is correcting an issue regarding the advance CTC payments for families where the parent(s) have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and the qualifying children have a Social Security number. Such families who did not receive a July payment are receiving a monthly payment in August, which also includes a portion of the July payment. They will receive the remainder of the July payment in late August.