Understanding your letter 6419

What this letter is about

Letter 6419 includes:

• Total amount of 2021 advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments
• Number of qualifying children used to calculate advance payments, and repayment protection when filing your 2021 federal tax return 
  • See Topic H in the FAQs for advance Child Tax Credit Payments information

To help taxpayers reconcile and receive 2021 CTC, the IRS is sending letter 6419, Advance Child Tax Credit Reconciliation from late December 2021 through January 2022. Taxpayers should keep this, and any other IRS letters about advance CTC payments, with their tax records.

Families who received advance payments must:

• File a 2021 tax return
• Compare the advance payments received in 2021 with the CTC amount they can claim for 2021

This letter contains helpful information for preparing tax returns. Taxpayers who received advance payments can also check amounts using the CTC Update Portal and Online Account on IRS.gov.

Eligible families who didn't receive advance child tax credit payments can claim the full amount of the child tax credit on their 2021 federal tax return. This includes families who don't normally need to file a tax return.

2021 tax information

The IRS is streamlining where we store information you need to file your 2021 tax return.

We're including an Online Account payment summary for the:

• Third Economic Impact payment
• Advance Child Tax Credit summary payment

IRS is adding a direct link in the Online Account for customers who use the Child Tax Credit Update portal to review payment information. This allows you to access your information in Online Account without entering your username and password again. We'll update Online Account with the third Economic Impact Payment and 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit by the end of January – in time for the 2021 tax return filing season.

How to learn more

For more information see Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021.