Missing Child Tax Credit and Stimulus Payments for Unclaimed Child - Can I Still File?

Hmm, this is def a tricky situation. AFAIK, you can still claim those missed credits by filing or amending returns for the applicable yrs. For the stimulus payments (EIP1/2/3), you'd need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on returns for those tax yrs. For the enhanced CTC, same thing - file/amend for that specific yr. But I'm not 100% sure about the deadlines... has anyone here dealt w/ this?

I was in a similar situation last January when I discovered my ex hadn't been claiming two of our children. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my previous tax returns and it helped identify exactly which years I could still amend (2020 and 2021) to claim the missing credits. The deadline for 2020 was April 15, 2024, so I just made it in time! The tool showed me precisely which forms I needed to file and calculated potential refund amounts for each credit I'd missed.

I might be able to help with this. I had to file for missed stimulus payments last year. Based on my research, you still have time to claim the 2021 enhanced Child Tax Credit if you file before April 15, 2025. For the 2020 stimulus payments, the deadline was April 15, 2024, so you may have just missed that window... but I would double-check with a professional to be certain. The IRS is sometimes flexible with these deadlines if you have reasonable cause.

If you need to speak directly with the IRS about this situation, I recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). • Normal IRS wait times are currently 2-3 hours • Claimyr got me through to an agent in under 25 minutes • You'll need to verify several pieces of information about the unclaimed child • The agent can tell you exactly which tax years are still eligible for amendment • They can also check if your ex-spouse actually did file and claimed the child without your knowledge • This will save you from filing amendments that might get rejected

Here's what you need to do: 1. File Form 1040X for tax year 2021 to claim the enhanced Child Tax Credit - you have until April 15, 2025. 2. For the stimulus payments, you would have needed to claim those on returns for tax years 2020 and 2021. The deadline for 2020 was April 15, 2024, but you might qualify for an exception if you can show reasonable cause. 3. You'll need to provide documentation that your ex-spouse did not claim the child in those years. Request tax transcripts for your child using Form 4506-T. 4. If your ex truly hasn't filed since 2018, you're legally entitled to claim the child and all associated credits as long as the child lived with you for more than half the year. Don't wait any longer - the deadline for 2021 amendments is approaching.

Just to clarify something important - when you say your ex hasn't filed since 2017/2018, did you verify this through the IRS or are you just assuming? It's like assuming your car is out of gas when the gauge is broken - you really need to check. The IRS won't just take your word that your ex didn't claim the child. You need to request a wage and income transcript for the child's SSN to confirm no one claimed them for those years. Do this ASAP because if the deadline passes, it's like watching money float down the river that you can never get back.