1221 Publ 5534-G (PDF) — verbatim text

Official source: IRS Forms, Instructions & Publications (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5534g.pdf), retrieved 2026-10-03. U.S. Government work (17 U.S.C. § 105).

IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021¶

Many families got up to half of their estimated 2021 Child Tax Credit as advance…¶

Step 3: Get Paid!¶

• After you file your return, you can check on the status of your refund using the Where’s My Refund? tool on IRS.gov or the mobile app IRS2Go .

• You can check within 24 hours of e-filing or within four weeks of mailing a return. Updates to the online tool are made daily, usually overnight.

• To use this tool, you need your Social Security number, filing status and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.

Exceptions & meaning →

Step 1: Review Letter 6419¶

• You should have received this letter in January 2022 if you received advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2021.

• It shows the amount of advance payments you received and the number of qualifying children the payments were based on.

• You or your tax preparer will use this information to figure your remaining credit accurately.

• If you misplaced your letter, you can look up your information using the IRS’s CTC Update Portal or Online Account .

Exceptions & meaning →

Step 2: Claim the Rest of¶

Your 2021 Child Tax Credit

• File your 2021 federal tax return and claim the Child Tax Credit, if you’re eligible.

• Choose direct deposit if you’re getting a refund. Make sure your bank account information is correct.

Exceptions & meaning →

Important Information¶

» Filing a tax return is the only way to get the remainder of your 2021 Child Tax…¶

Publication 5534-G (12-2021) Catalog Number 92617L Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov

Exceptions & meaning →