The 2024 Child Tax Credit has no automatic monthly payments

There are no monthly Child Tax Credit payments being released in 2024. The credit is claimed once a year on your tax return, filed by the April 15 deadline. If you are owed a credit, you receive it as part of your tax refund — either as a direct deposit, check, or applied to taxes you owe.

This is different from 2021 and 2022, when the IRS sent advance monthly payments to families who had received the credit in prior years. That temporary program ended. Starting in 2024, the only way to receive the Child Tax Credit is to claim it on your federal tax return for that year.

You do not have to do anything to "activate" the credit. When you file your 2024 tax return in early 2025, you list your may have access to children and the IRS calculates what you are owed based on your income and filing status.

Key Takeaways

  • The Child Tax Credit for 2024 is claimed on your tax return filed by April 15, 2025, not released as monthly payments.
  • You receive the credit as part of your refund if you overpaid taxes, or it reduces the taxes you owe if you underpaid.
  • Each may have access to child under age 17 at the end of 2024 can generate a credit of up to $2,000, depending on your income.
  • The IRS does not send advance payments in 2024; the temporary monthly payment program that ran in 2021–2022 is no longer active.
  • You must file a tax return to claim the credit, even if your income is very low.

How the 2024 Child Tax Credit works on your tax return

When you file your 2024 federal income tax return, you report the number of may have access to children and their Social Security numbers. The IRS then calculates your credit based on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and family size.

For 2024, the credit is $2,000 per child under age 17. However, the credit begins to phase out — meaning it shrinks — once your MAGI reaches a certain threshold. For married couples filing jointly, that threshold is $400,000. For single filers, it is $200,000. For head of household filers, it is $300,000. For every $1,000 (or fraction thereof) over the threshold, the credit reduces by $50.

If the credit is larger than the taxes you owe, the IRS can refund the difference to you. This is called the refundable portion of the credit. The refundable amount is capped at $1,700 per child for 2024, but only if you have earned income during the year.

What counts as a may have access to child

A child must meet several conditions to generate a credit on your 2024 return. The child must be under age 17 at the end of 2024 (meaning born after December 31, 2007). The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or descendant of any of these (such as a niece or nephew). The child must have lived with you for more than half of 2024, and you must provide more than half of their financial support for the year.

The child must have a valid Social Security number and be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien. You must claim the child as a dependent on your tax return. If another person (such as a former spouse) claims the child as a dependent, you cannot claim the credit for that child.

Adopted children and foster children count, as long as the adoption is legal or the foster care placement is by court order or government agency.

When to file your return to receive the credit

You can file your 2024 tax return starting in late January 2025, when the IRS begins accepting returns. The deadline to file is April 15, 2025. If you file before that date, the IRS processes your return and issues your refund within 21 days in most cases, though it can take longer if your return requires review.

If you file after April 15, you forfeit the credit for that year. The credit does not carry forward to future years if you do not claim it in time.

You can file on your own using tax software, through a tax preparer, or for free through the IRS Free File program if your income is below a certain threshold (which varies by year but is typically around $79,000 for single filers).

Documents you need to claim the credit

To claim the Child Tax Credit on your return, you need the Social Security number for each child. You also need proof of the child's relationship to you — usually a birth certificate or adoption papers — though you do not submit this with your return unless the IRS asks for it later.

You need documentation of your income for 2024, such as W-2 forms from employers, 1099 forms from self-employment or other income, or records of business income if you are self-employed. If you claim the child as a dependent, you may need to show proof that the child lived with you for more than half the year and that you paid more than half their support — such as receipts for housing, food, medical care, or school expenses.

Keep these documents for at least three years in case the IRS requests them during an audit.

What happens if your income changes during the year

Your credit is based on your income for the full year 2024. If you earned less than you expected, your credit may be larger. If you earned more, your credit may be smaller or disappear entirely once you reach the phase-out threshold.

You do not need to report income changes to the IRS before you file your return. You simply report your actual 2024 income when you file in early 2025, and the IRS calculates the correct credit amount at that time.

If you received advance payments in prior years and your 2024 income is higher, you may owe back some or all of those payments when you file. This is called reconciliation. However, there is no reconciliation issue in 2024 because there are no advance payments being made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the Child Tax Credit if I did not file a tax return last year?

Yes. You must file a 2024 tax return to claim the credit for 2024, even if you did not file in prior years. If your income is very low, you may have no tax obligation, but filing the return allows you to receive the refundable portion of the credit as a refund.

What if my child was born in December 2024?

Your child must be under age 17 at the end of 2024 to count. A child born in December 2024 is age 0 at the end of the year, so the child qualifies. You can claim the credit for the full year even if the child was born late in the year.

Do I have to file a paper return, or can I file online?

You can file online using tax software, by mail with a paper form, or through a tax preparer. Online filing is faster and the IRS processes it more quickly. If your income is below the threshold for your filing status, you can file free through IRS Free File.

What if I share custody of my child with another parent?

Only one parent can claim the child as a dependent and receive the credit. Usually this is the parent who has custody for the majority of the year. If you share custody equally, you can agree on who claims the child, or you can alternate years. The other parent cannot claim the credit for that child in the same year.

Can I claim the credit if I am not a U.S. citizen?

You must have a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file a return and claim the credit. Your child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien. If you meet these requirements, you can claim the credit regardless of your own citizenship status.