My ex received the advance child tax credits, but gave them to me. How do I report this on my tax return?

[zoey-cody]

I don't want him to have to pay this back when I actually received all of the funds from him.

[ThomasM125]

You should not report the payments on your tax return. Only the individual that received the payments from the government should report them on their tax return. What happens to them after that will not affect your tax return.

[rjs]

You cannot report it on your tax return. On your tax return you must report only payments that you received yourself, if any.

If you are claiming the children as dependents for 2021, you will get the full Child Tax Credit on your tax return. If your ex is not claiming the children, he will have to pay back the payments that he received, unless he qualifies for repayment protection. There is no way to avoid that. You can, of course, give him back the money that he gave you if you wish, since you will be getting the full credit on your tax return.