Accepted for Child Tax Credit - How to Check Advance Payment Status?

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) advance payments require verification of eligibility through the IRS Child Tax Credit Update Portal. To confirm enrollment status, you'll need to authenticate through ID.me verification protocols and navigate to the 'Manage Payments' section. The portal will display your enrollment status, payment schedule, and distribution method. For 2024, qualifying taxpayers receive up to $2,000 per qualifying dependent under 17, with potential monthly distributions of approximately $166.67 per child if you opt for advance payments.

I went through this exact situation last year. The IRS website can be really confusing about advance payments. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax transcript and it showed me exactly when I was scheduled for advance payments. Back in 2021 when they did the big advance payments, I remember being confused for weeks until I found a tool that could interpret all those transcript codes. This year's system is similar - taxr.ai helped me understand exactly what my transcript was saying about my CTC eligibility and payment schedule.

Have you checked if your banking information is correct in your IRS account? Did you recently change banks or update your direct deposit information? Sometimes the system has the right eligibility information but the wrong payment details, which can cause unexpected delays.

OMG I was literally pulling my hair out trying to figure this out last month!! I called the IRS like 17 times and NEVER got through - just endless holds and disconnects. I was SO FRUSTRATED! Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got connected to an actual human in about 15 minutes! The agent confirmed I was enrolled for advances and explained exactly when they'd start. Best $20 I ever spent when I needed that certainty for my budget planning. Are you SURE your return is fully processed and not just accepted?

You might want to consider opting out of advance payments altogether if your income fluctuates. I typically recommend that remote workers with variable income take the full credit at tax time instead of monthly advances, particularly if there's any possibility your annual income might exceed eligibility thresholds. This approach generally eliminates potential repayment obligations if your actual 2024 income differs substantially from your 2023 reported income. The opt-out deadline is usually around the 28th of the month prior to the payment month.

Just adding that I got accepted last week and saw nothing about advances on my account for 2 weeks. Then suddenly it appeared in my IRS account under the 'Messages' tab, not where I expected it. Check there. Also make sure you actually qualify - they look at your AGI, filing status, and number of qualifying children. I think the income limit is $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married filing jointly.