On the Issue Number: IR-2021-171, the IRS announced the launch of a new feature allowing any family receiving monthly Child Tax Credit payments to quickly and easily update their mailing address using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal

Additionally, the IRS will mail a year-end summary statement (Letter 6419) to all taxpayers who have received advance Child Tax Credit payments during 2021, and having a current address on file with the IRS will ensure prompt delivery of this statement. Families will need Letter 6419 to quickly and accurately fill out their 2021 federal income tax return next year. This is important because, for most families, the advance payments they are receiving during 2021 cover only half of the total credit. They will claim the remaining portion on their 2021 tax return.

The address change feature joins a growing set of services available through the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. Available only on IRS.gov, the portal already allows families to verify their eligibility for the payments and then, if they choose to:

  • Switch from receiving a paper check to direct deposit;
  • Change the account where their payment is direct deposited; or
  • Stop monthly payments for the rest of 2021.

Note that any of these changes made before midnight ET on Aug. 30, will apply to the Sept. 15 payment and all subsequent monthly payments, scheduled for Oct. 15, Nov. 15, and Dec. 15

The IRS has planned future enhancements are planned for the Child Tax Credit Portal. Later this year, families will also be able to use the Update Portal tool to:

  • Add or remove children in most situations;
  • Report a change in marital status; or
  • Report a significant change in income.

Other questions on this advance Child tax credit were addressed in the IRS Issue Number: FS-2021-11, such as:

Families can stop payments any time – Even after payments begin, families can stop all future monthly payments if they choose. They do that by using the unenroll feature in the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. Eligible families who make this choice will still receive the rest of their Child Tax Credit as a lump sum when they file their 2021 federal income tax return next year. To stop all payments starting in September and the rest of 2021, they must unenroll by Aug. 30, 2021. For

Who should unenroll? Instead of receiving these advance payments, some families may prefer to wait until the end of the year and receive the entire credit as a refund when they file their 2021 return. The Child Tax Credit Update Portal enables them to quickly and easily unenroll from receiving monthly payments.

The unenroll feature can also be helpful to any family that no longer qualifies for the Child Tax Credit or believes they will not qualify when they file their 2021 return. This could happen if, for example, someone else, such as an ex-spouse or another family member, qualifies to claim their child or children as dependents in 2021.

Child Tax Credit changes The American Rescue Plan raised the maximum Child Tax Credit in 2021 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per child for children ages 6 through 17. Before 2021, the credit was worth up to $2,000 per eligible child. The new maximum credit is available to taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) of:

  • $75,000 or less for singles,
  • $112,500 or less for heads of household and
  • $150,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return and qualified widows and widowers.