My wife and I both received Letter 6419 from the IRS, with instructions to report the Advance Child Tax Credit that we received in 2021. Where do we enter this info?

[Zack1982]

We believe that we are NOT eligible for the credit, so would need to repay the amount received, if that makes any difference.

[TomK100 · Accepted solution]

Enter your Advance Child Tax Credit information from IRS Letter 6419 here:

1. Open your return.
2. Click on Federal tab under Tax Home.
3. Click on the Edit/Add button next to Advance payments, Child and Other Dependent Tax Credits (under Your tax  breaks).
4. Answer the interview questions.  

If you are not eligible for the payments (e.g., your income is too high), the program will let you know, and also what you may

need to pay back.

[Critter-3]

@Zack1982 

You are the first to post this letter info ... may I ask.  Did both of you get the same  notice reporting the entire amount received ?   Or just 1/2 each ?   

If it was the total on both letters were there instructions to NOT enter more than the total amount you actually got combined ? 

[Zack1982]

We both got identical notices (other than our names). The instructions on the letter were to add the two amounts when reporting. TurboTax actually prompts for each spouse's amount, now that I know where to enter it!

[Critter-3]

Say you got just $2000 total in advance  between you both ... did the notice indicate the full $2000 on each letter or just $1000 each ?   Some have said it said it was the full amount twice and if you enter that full amount twice and you only got it once then the CTC on the return will be wrong ... just trying to get a grip on what the IRS sent for others who will ask ... thanks for your time. 

[simonsotero]

My wife and I got the letter as well.  It lists the full amount we got in advance identically on each of our Letter 6419's.  What's strange is that I believe this will cause us to show as having received double what we actually received.  But the letter does say to add up the amounts when entering it and report the total.  Does anyone know if that is correct?  

[Critter-3]

If you filed a joint return in 2020 and you are sure how much you got in advance then only report the amounts you actually got and not necessarily what is on the  6419 letter as that could be incorrect.  If you enter what it says then you will miss out on the second 1/2 of the credit. 

Is there a number on the letter to call to complain about the incorrect amount ?  If there is I would call it. 

[Critter-3]

This is going to be a nightmare for some ... but do the right thing ... from this article : https://www.saverlife.org/money-101/what-to-do-when-the-irs-sends-you-letter-6419

In January 2022, the IRS will send out these letters to households. Letter 6419 will serve as a reminder to log into your IRS tax account and make sure the advance Child Tax Credit payments the IRS says you received match up with what was deposited into your account. 

What should I do with the letter?

The IRS recommends you keep this letter for your records and include it with your tax documents. 

You can find more information about the Child Tax Credit changes here and you can find out about what will happen if you received the wrong amount of advance payments here. 

What address does the IRS send the letter to?

The IRS will send Letter 6419 to the last address they have on file for you. Usually, this comes from the last tax return that you filed. 

If you moved recently, you’ll want to make sure you get mail from the IRS, including this letter. You can do this by updating your address with the IRS. This can be done by mail, phone, or online. You can call the IRS to change your address at 1-800-829-1040. 

You can complete and mail Form 8822 to change your address. Note: It can normally take the IRS four to six weeks to process a change of address that is mailed in.

Also, the Child Tax Credit Update Portal now allows you to change your address. This may be the simplest and quickest way to update our change of address.

What if I Don’t Receive Letter 6419? Can I Still File my Tax Return?

You can still file your tax return without Letter 6419. The most important thing is that you make sure you enter the correct total amount for the advance Child Tax Credit payments into your tax return. 

If what you enter differs from what the IRS has on record, it may delay the processing of your tax return. 

We’ll know more about this as we get closer to tax season. Since this is a new process, the IRS hasn’t yet provided detailed information about the processing. We do know that many saw delays in the processing of their 2020 tax returns when the amount they entered in their 2020 tax return for the stimulus checks (or economic impact payments) did not match IRS records. 

Here are some ways to get the correct total:

1. Check your history of payments in your IRS Child Tax Credit Update portal. Please remember if you file jointly that both spouses will need to check each of their portals. 
2. Open or create your Tax Account at irs.gov. You will be able to find a record of the history of payments there. 
3. Check your bank records. If you had direct deposit it should show as IRS TREAS 310 CHILDCTC.

If you have a tax professional prepare your tax return, expect that they will ask you for proof of the amount of payments you are claiming you received.

What if I Don’t Agree with IRS Letter 6419 or IRS Records of Payments?

You can still file your tax return with what you believe is the correct amount, but make sure that you have documentation (ex: bank statements, etc.). 

You may need that documentation later. As was mentioned above, if the number you enter for total payments differs from what the IRS has on file, your tax return – and tax refund – may be delayed. 

If the IRS makes an adjustment to your tax return, you can expect to receive a letter from the IRS explaining the adjustment. If at that point you still believe the IRS is wrong, the letter should explain what further actions you can take. 

If you aren’t comfortable navigating this situation on your own, you can consider engaging a tax professional or inquiring with the Taxpayer Advocate Service about whether or not they can help. 

You may need to compare the payment dates and amounts the IRS says you received to what you actually received. The IRS does offer payment traces upon request, and you may request your bank do some tracing. Although, if money was sent to another account they cannot give you the information about that other account. If you suspect you may be a victim of identity theft, you may need to take some actions. The IRS provides identity theft guidance here and the FTC provides guidance here.

If you and the IRS don’t agree on the amount of Advance Child Tax Credit Payments received, it may take months to resolve. 

[simonsotero]

Thank you so much for the reply!  I'm embarrssed to say that, after double checking, I actually did get the combined amount listed between the two letters as advanced payments.  So it looks like, for people who are Married Filing Jointly, the total amount given in advance is divided and sent out as two letters, one to each spouse.   When you enter the amount from each letter it adds up to the full amount given in advance.  Thank you again for your answer and I apologize I had the wrong info to start with.

Have a great night,

Andrew

[Critter-3]

Thank goodness ... but remember the IRS is not always correct and questioning it is allowed. 

[simonsotero]

Most definitely.  But this one was all me getting confused.  We had a bank account get hacked into earlier in the year and had to replace it, so I only say a portion of the payments to the new account.  At least this info hopefully gives you some idea on how they are sending out those letters.   Thank you again for the replies and have a great night!

[Affordabletaxes2021]

Thanks for this information. As a preparer I’m getting a lot of the same questions. 

[AmyJ913]

My husband and I filed jointly in 2020, and we only have one child for whom we received the Child Tax Credit. In the TurboTax section, where it lists us separately, do we put 1 child by each of our names? Or 1 by one person's name and 0 by the other?

[DianeW777]

You should enter the number 1 beside each of you because your child is a qualifying child to each of you.  The return will show only one child for the Child Tax Credit and the math will work out correctly.  I tested it to be sure. 

It's important to use the IRS letter 6419 to enter the information to eliminate potential delays. 

[AmyJ913]

Thank you so much for your help!