Child Tax Credit Payment Scheduled - Anyone Else Getting Paper Check Instead of Direct Deposit?

Ugh, I'm in the SAME boat! So frustrating they're mailing paper checks when they HAVE my direct deposit info! 😤 I got the message about a check mailed 4/18 for my missing CTC payment. Mail is taking FOREVER in my area - like 5-7 days for regular mail. If you need the money quickly, check your informed delivery daily and then cash it immediately through your bank's mobile app. That's my plan because my car needs repairs ASAP and I can't wait for traditional check clearing times.

The IRS has been inconsistent with payment methods this year. On March 12th, I received a direct deposit for my older child but on April 3rd got notification of a paper check for my younger child born in 2023. According to the IRS website (updated on 02/15/2024), they're sending paper checks when there's a "discrepancy between filing years" or when they need to "verify eligibility for new dependents." The system isn't smart enough to consolidate payments when there are changes to your dependent status between tax years.

I think...maybe...you might want to call the IRS to confirm what this payment is for? I waited almost 2 hours on hold last week trying to figure out a similar situation, but then I found out about Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). It might be worth trying if you really need to know what's coming. I'm not usually one to recommend paid services, but it did get me through to an agent in about 25 minutes instead of hours of redial attempts. The agent confirmed my paper check was specifically for the additional CTC amount for my new dependent.

I received a paper check last week that was possibly for my 2023 baby's CTC. It seems that the IRS might sometimes default to paper checks when there are changes to your dependent situation. The check arrived about 6 days after the "scheduled mailing date" on the Where's My Refund tool, so you might want to allow for some potential mail delays. I would recommend possibly checking your mail carefully each day and perhaps setting up USPS Informed Delivery if you haven't already done so.

What you're seeing is likely related to the supplemental CTC payment for your 2023 child. If you want to understand exactly what's happening with your tax account, I recommend using https://taxr.ai to analyze your IRS transcript. It shows the exact codes and dates for all your tax account transactions, and explains what each entry means in plain English. The tool will show you the exact CTC calculation and whether this payment is addressing the full amount you're owed or if there's more coming. Most people don't realize they can see exactly what's happening behind the scenes in their IRS account.

This situation is actually more common than you'd think. Unlike the old stimulus payments, the current CTC system handles new dependents differently than existing ones. When I worked at a tax prep office, we saw this exact scenario dozens of times - direct deposit for established dependents, paper checks for newly added ones. The IRS does this as an anti-fraud measure. What's concerning is that if your ex incorrectly received the first payment, you might need to address that separately. The current payment likely only addresses your 2023 child, not correcting the misdirected payment for your older child.

Has anyone actually received their check yet? The IRS payment system is like a black box - information goes in but you never know what will come out or when. I'm curious if the actual check amounts match what people were expecting for their CTC.