2021 Child Tax Credit and advance Child Tax Credit payments frequently asked questions

These updated FAQs were released to the public in Fact Sheet 2022-32 PDF, July 14, 2022.

There have been important changes to the Child Tax Credit that will help many families receive advance payments. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for tax year 2021 only.

Below are frequently asked questions about the Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021, separated by topic.

Do not call the IRS. Our phone assistors don't have information beyond what's available on IRS.gov.

• Topic A: General Information
• Topic B: Eligibility for Advance Child Tax Credit Payments and the 2021 Child Tax Credit
• Topic C: Calculation of the 2021 Child Tax Credit
• Topic D: Calculation of Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
• Topic E: Advance Payment Process of the Child Tax Credit
• Topic F: Updating Your Child Tax Credit Information During 2021
• Topic G: Receiving Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
• Topic H: Reconciling Your Advance Child Tax Credit Payments on Your 2021 Tax Return
• Topic I: U.S. Territory Residents and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
• Topic J: Unenrolling from Advance Payments
• Topic K: Verifying Your Identity to View your Online Account
• Topic L: Commonly Asked Shared-Custody Questions
• Topic M: Commonly Asked Immigration-Related Questions
• Topic N: Returning a Payment