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Reminder: There's still time for families to get the full Advance Child Tax Credit this year

Mom and baby in the foreground, crowd of people at solar farm opening, pre-pandemic
It's not too late for families to obtain the full Advance Child Tax Credit this year. Some low-income families may not be aware of this benefit because, unlike in prior years, a parent does not need to have income to obtain the credit for 2021 (advance or otherwise).

The total child tax credit amount is $3,000 per older child (aged 6-17) and $3,600 per younger child (age 5 and younger). The advance portion of the credit is half of that, with the balance paid in a tax refund next year. For example, a parent with two children who will be 6-17 or under at the end of this year can still get $3,000 in advance payments between now and the end of the year ($3,600 if the two children will be 5 or under at the end of the year)!

Simplified Tax Filing to Claim Your Child Tax Credit with black/brown family illustration

But there is an October 15, 2021 deadline for using the new, easy-to-use GetCTC site (Español) (a partnership between Code for America, the White House, and the US Department of Treasury) and the IRS non-filer portal to sign up for the advance payments. Assuming that a low-income family does not have a reason to file a "regular" tax return, using one of the portals is the best way to get the advance payments.

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