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CHILD TAX CREDIT: NEW UPDATE ADDRESS FEATURE AVAILABLE WITH IRS ONLINE PORTAL

The Internal Revenue Service has launched 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, found exclusively on IRS.gov. This feature will help any family that chooses to receive their payment by paper check avoid mailing delays or even having a check returned as undeliverable.

Any family can easily have their September check and all future checks sent to their new address by using the portal to make an address change request. To have the change take effect in September, people need to complete the request before midnight Eastern Time on Monday, August 30. Families can still make changes after that date, but their request will not be effective until the next scheduled monthly payment.

If you change your mailing address using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, the IRS will use this updated address for all future IRS correspondence so the address change feature can also be helpful to taxpayers that are receiving payments by direct deposit. For example, 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.

Any of these changes made before midnight ET on August 30, will apply to the September 15 payment and all subsequent monthly payments, scheduled for October 15, November 15, and December 15.

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.

Latest information for the Child Tax Credit payments on IRS.gov

The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 page designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the credit and the advance payments. For more information, visit IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021.

The web page now features an updated set of frequently asked questions and the new Publication 5549, IRS User Guide: Child Tax Credit Update Portal. It also provides direct links to the portal, as well as two other online tools — the Non-Filer Sign Up Tool and the Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant — and other useful resources.

Janice Batchelor