(UPDATED 8/16/2021): IRS released updated repayment information in a News Release issued on 8/13/21. Article content text below has been updated based on this information.
Families where one parent has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security number did not receive their July Advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment, but will receive the amount in future payments starting August 13, 2021.
The IRS found and corrected a situation where some families who filed joint returns and where one spouse used an ITIN did not receive their July advance CTC payment. However, due to that fix, these families will receive a portion of the July amount in August, then will receive the remainder of the July payment in late August.
(Note: the IRS does not specify a date for when this separate late August payment will be issued. Monitor the IRS.gov/Newsroom and Questions and Answers About the Advance Child Tax Credit Payments pages for future updates on this specific topic.) Payment amounts will vary based on the number and age of the dependents claimed.
What Is an ITIN?
An ITIN is a nine-digit number issued by the IRS to taxpayers so they can comply with the U.S. tax laws. Taxpayers need an ITIN if they are required to file a tax return or have a reporting requirement, and they do not have or are not eligible to receive a Social Security number (SSN). ITINs are required not only for primary taxpayers filing returns, but also for other persons included on a return who do not have SSNs, such as spouses and dependents. Taxpayers use their ITINs to file their tax returns, pay the tax they owe, and claim any tax benefits to which they are entitled under the law.
What is the 2021 Child Tax Credit & Advance Payment Option?
See our 2021 Child Tax Credit & Advance Payment Option Get Help page or Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021 on IRS.gov for more information.
More resources
- Questions and Answers About the Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
- 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Resources and Guidance
- TAS Tax Tip: Check out these Advance Child Tax Credit tools
- TAS Tax Tip: Ten Things to Know About Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
Related information
- NTA Blog: Most Taxpayers Needing a New ITIN Are Prohibited From Filing Electronically, Causing Unnecessary Refund Delays (April 13, 2021) (Spanish)
- Now is the Perfect Time for the IRS to Make Improvements to the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number Program (Oct. 31, 2018)
- See this important information about child and dependent-related tax benefits (Dec. 27, 2019)
- TAS helps locate missing passports filed with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) request (June 26, 2017)