How to claim old child tax credit from 2021 filing now? Still possible?

Yes, you can still claim the 2021 Child Tax Credit if you were eligible but didn't receive it! What you need to do is file an amended tax return using Form 1040-X. The good news is you generally have 3 years from the date you filed your original return to file an amendment and claim a refund, so you're still within that window for 2021 taxes. The 2021 Child Tax Credit was special because it was expanded due to the American Rescue Plan - it was up to $3,600 for children under 6 and $3,000 for children 6-17. Some of it might have been paid in advance monthly payments, but if you never received those, you can claim the full amount. Since you used TurboTax, you might be able to amend directly through their system which makes it easier than starting from scratch. They should have your original return information saved in your account.

After struggling with a similar situation from my 2021 taxes, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out exactly how to claim my missed credits. They analyze your past tax documents and letters from the IRS to identify exactly what you're entitled to and walk you through the steps to claim it. For me, they pulled up my old returns, identified the missing child tax credit immediately, and explained exactly how to file the amendment. The best part was that they could tell me precisely how much I was entitled to receive back. They even recognized some other deductions I had missed that weren't in the original IRS letter!

Just wanted to update everyone - I took the advice about using taxr.ai from the comment above and WOW! I was skeptical at first but it was exactly what I needed. I uploaded my 2021 return and the IRS letter I received, and they immediately identified that I qualified for an additional $5,400 in child tax credits for my twins that wasn't properly applied. They guided me step by step through filing the 1040-X amendment and even provided a detailed explanation I could include with my submission. Just got confirmation that my amendment was accepted and I should be receiving the refund within 16 weeks. So grateful I found this before the three-year window closed!

If you received an actual letter from the IRS about this, you might want to call them directly to confirm what exactly you're eligible for before going through the trouble of amending. BUT - good luck getting through to an actual person at the IRS! I spent 3 weeks trying to get through about my missed credits. I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and it was a game changer. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 45 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they wait on hold for you and call you when an actual human picks up. The IRS agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do for my missed child tax credit and even helped me understand exactly which forms I needed to submit. Saved me so much guesswork and potential errors.

I have to come back and apologize for my skeptical comment above. After getting nowhere for weeks with the IRS, I broke down and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Honestly, I'm still in shock that it actually worked. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes when I'd been trying unsuccessfully for over a month. The agent confirmed I was eligible for the full 2021 child tax credit since I never received the advance payments. They walked me through exactly how to file the amendment and what documentation to include. Just submitted my amendment yesterday following their instructions. Would have missed out on over $4,000 if I hadn't finally gotten through to ask about that letter! Now I'm kicking myself for not doing this sooner.

Just FYI, the enhanced child tax credit for 2021 was part of the American Rescue Plan. The amount was $3,600 for kids under 6 and $3,000 for kids 6-17. Half of it was supposed to be sent as monthly payments from July-December 2021, and the other half claimed when filing taxes. If you didn't receive the monthly payments (many people opted out or had issues with the system), you should have claimed the full amount on your 2021 return. If you didn't, then filing a 1040-X amended return is definitely the way to go!

I was in the exact same situation!!! The letter you got was probably a CP-08 notice. Don't ignore it like I did at first! I ended up filing an amended return through TurboTax and it was actually pretty easy. Just log into your TurboTax account, find your 2021 return, and look for the option to amend. Make sure you have your kids' SSNs and birth dates handy. Also any documents showing they lived with you in 2021 (school records, medical records, etc) in case the IRS asks for verification later.