Need help fixing Free Fillable Form error on Schedule 8812 for Child Tax Credit

This error is actually pretty common with Free Fillable Forms when dealing with Schedule 8812 for the Child Tax Credit. The error message is confusing because of all the technical terms, but it's basically saying there's a mismatch between two amounts. The issue is likely that you have an amount in the "Nonrefundable Child Tax Credit or Credit for Other Dependents" section on Form 1040, but that amount doesn't match what you calculated on Schedule 8812 in the "Nonrefundable Other Dependent Credit Amount" field. The system is checking that these two numbers are identical when you've checked that your main home was in the US for more than half the year. Double-check both forms to make sure the amounts match exactly. Also verify you've checked the correct box about your main residence being in the US (or Puerto Rico) for more than half the year on Schedule 8812.

After struggling with tax forms for YEARS, I finally found something that actually helps with these confusing error messages. I used this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) last month when I got a similar error on my Schedule 8812. It literally saved me hours of frustration! You just upload a screenshot of your error message or tax form, and it explains in plain English what's wrong and how to fix it. For my Schedule 8812 issue, it pointed out exactly which boxes weren't matching up properly. The explanation was way clearer than anything on the IRS website.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that I mentioned I might try for my Schedule C issues. I finally gave it a shot yesterday and it was seriously impressive! I had this weird error about business income not matching across forms, and the tool immediately identified that I had transposed two digits in one field. What I really liked was how it explained WHY the error was happening, not just where to fix it. The explanation walked me through the relationship between different tax form fields in a way that actually made sense. I've already bookmarked it for next year's taxes because this filing season has been a nightmare with all these technical errors.

If you're still stuck with that Schedule 8812 error and need help from an actual IRS agent (which honestly might be your best bet at this point), try using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was getting nowhere with these Free Fillable Form errors last month and was ready to throw my laptop out the window. I tried calling the IRS directly but kept getting the "due to high call volume" message for days. Then I found Claimyr which basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an agent is available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got through to an IRS agent, they walked me through fixing my Schedule 8812 issue in about 5 minutes. Turned out I was overthinking it and just had a checkbox in the wrong place.

Ok, I need to apologize for calling Claimyr sketchy in my earlier comment. I was super skeptical but decided to try it yesterday out of desperation with my own tax issue. IT ACTUALLY WORKS. I got a call back in about 90 minutes and was connected directly to an IRS agent who helped me fix my Schedule 8812 issue. The agent confirmed they were with the IRS and had access to my previous filing attempts. Turns out I had checked the residency box but then entered amounts in fields that contradicted that selection. For anyone else dealing with these cryptic Free Fillable Forms errors - talking to an actual human at the IRS is seriously the fastest way to resolve them. They deal with these specific error codes all day and can spot the problem immediately.

Have you tried using a different tax software instead of Free Fillable Forms? I used to get these weird technical errors all the time with FFF, then switched to TurboTax and never saw them again. The paid software has better error detection that explains things in normal language instead of these cryptic IRS business rule codes.

For what it's worth, I had this exact same error last year. The problem was that I checked the box saying my main home was in the US for more than half the year, but then I incorrectly filled out Part I-B instead of Part I-A on Schedule 8812. Double check which part of Schedule 8812 you're completing. If you checked the US residency box, you should be filling out Part I-A, not Part I-B. The error happens when there's a mismatch between your residency selection and which calculation section you complete.

I had the exact same IND-460 error with Schedule 8812 last month and it drove me crazy! After hours of troubleshooting, I found the issue was in the calculation flow between forms. Here's what fixed it for me: Go to your Form 1040 Line 19 and write down that exact amount. Then go to Schedule 8812 and make sure you're using the correct worksheet (Part I-A if you're a US resident, Part I-B if not). The amount that flows to Line 15 on Schedule 8812 MUST match Line 19 on your 1040 exactly. The error happens because Free Fillable Forms doesn't automatically sync these amounts like paid software does. You have to manually ensure they match. Also double-check that you haven't accidentally entered the same child in multiple places or mixed up refundable vs non-refundable credit amounts. Once I made sure these numbers were identical and consistent with my residency status, the error disappeared and I could finally e-file!