Child tax credits and shared custody: Are both parents eligible for the same kid?

Certified households who’ve youngsters beneath age 18 can anticipate a major monetary enhance over the following 12 months because of the American Rescue Plan signed into legislation final month by President Joe Biden. The brand new legislation gives a considerable quantity of monetary help to be able to assist these struggling by the financial influence of the pandemic, together with $1,400 stimulus checks and further unemployment checks. Nonetheless, the expanded youngster tax credit score might be the piece of the brand new aid invoice that gives essentially the most assist to households. 

The new guidelines surrounding the kid tax credit score imply more than nine out of 10 families with children will obtain funds, beginning this summer time. Equally vital, households who pay little or no federal tax will obtain the total quantity they qualify for, a change from how the CTC had labored prior to now, the place lower-income households had been excluded from your complete quantity they had been due.

So how is the brand new CTC completely different, who’s eligible for a fee, and might dad and mom who share joint custody of a kid every get cash this yr? We’ve got solutions, beneath. Plus, right here is extra on the third stimulus verify, who qualifies for that fee and what to know concerning the amended tax kind.

Will dad and mom sharing joint custody of a kid every get a fee?

With the first two stimulus checks, dad and mom who aren’t married however share joint custody of a kid might every obtain a fee for a similar youngster in the event that they alternate years claiming the kid on their taxes. With the brand new invoice, Congress labored to shut off that loophole for the third stimulus checks being despatched out now. 

Can dad and mom who share custody of a kid make the most of the same loophole with the brand new momentary tax credit score? No, stated Elaine Maag, a principal analysis affiliate with the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Just one individual can declare the credit score for a given youngster, Maag advised us. And when you incorrectly declare a toddler this yr, you will have to repay all or a part of the fee subsequent yr.

Repaying any CTC overpayment is a departure from how the stimulus checks had been dealt with. Sometimes, when you obtained an overpayment, you need not ship it again. (Listed here are conditions the place you’d have to return a stimulus verify fee to the IRS.)

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Can CTC funds be garnished to pay past-due youngster help?

According to the Congressional Research Service — Congress’ public coverage analysis institute — the brand new legislation exempts the periodic youngster tax credit score funds going out this yr from offset for past-due youngster help. Nonetheless, the quantity you declare as a credit score in your 2021 tax returns in 2022 might be topic to offset, the Congressional service stated, just like how stimulus funds claimed as a Restoration Rebate Credit score might be redirected to cowl an overdue debt.

How does the brand new CTC enlargement work?

Earlier than the adjustments this yr with the American Rescue Plan, eligible households might declare a tax credit score for his or her certified kids once they filed their taxes. The credit score would cut back the quantity of taxes they owed. That fee rule, nevertheless, excluded lower-income households who did not owe federal taxes and would not profit from a tax saving with the credit score. 

With the brand new legislation, the credit score is “absolutely refundable,” so qualifying households will obtain the total greenback quantity even when they do not owe revenue taxes. Households will obtain half the credit score this yr by interval funds beginning as quickly as July and the second half of the credit score in 2022 once they file their 2021 taxes throughout subsequent yr’s tax season. If, as an alternative, you’d relatively get one verify, the IRS will allow you to select to obtain the total fee subsequent yr once you file. Listed here are extra particulars on how the kid tax credit score funds will work.

Who qualifies for the kid tax credit score? 

The American Rescue Plan quickly expands the CTC from $2,000 per youngster 16 years previous and youthful to $3,600 for kids age 5 and youthful and to $3,000 for kids age 17 and youthful. 

The momentary enlargement additionally makes the credit score accessible to households in all US territories. Beforehand, the refundable credit score was accessible to households in Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

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How a lot can households obtain in 2021 and 2022?

Over 90% of all households with kids — from lowest to highest qualifying incomes — will obtain a mean advantage of $4,380, based on the Tax Policy Center. Half the quantity will exit this yr periodically, beginning this summer time in roughly equal funds, and the second half subsequent yr once you file your taxes.

For extra data on different funding, this is the way to estimate your third stimulus verify, the way to monitor your fee and what we learn about a potential fourth stimulus verify up to now.