Get your taxes done using TurboTax

@wylkat54 Are you asking about getting the child tax credit on your 2020 tax return?    You do not get the child tax credit on your tax return if you did not have income earned from working--unemployment is not earned income.  There was a 2019 "lookback" provision that would have allowed you to use the earned income on your 2019 return to get the ctc on your 2020 return if you chose to do so.   

Have you filed your 2020 return already?

Many people had lower incomes during the pandemic in 2020 due to reduced work hours, layoffs, etc.  Or they received unemployment benefits.   These factors affect how much earned income credit and additional child tax credit you can get on your 2020 tax return and affect your 2020 refund.

There is a “lookback” option that allows you to use your 2019 amounts for earned income credit or child tax credit.   You can choose whether to use your 2019 amount or your 2020 amount.  Choose whichever amount gives you a better tax refund for your 2020 refund.

You can see this and choose in the earned income credit section  in Deductions and Credits. 

You still MUST enter all of your 2020 income into your 2020 tax return, including any unemployment you received.

Please follow these steps in TurboTax:

1. Login to your TurboTax Account 
2. Click on the Search box on the top and type "EIC"
3. Click on “Jump to EIC”
4. Answer the questions until you reach the screen "Do you want to use last year’s earned income?"
5. Note your current refund amount using your 2020 earned income at the top of the screen.
6. Click "Yes", enter your "2019 Earned Income" if the field is blank and click "continue".
7. Compare the new refund amount using your 2019 earned income with the previously noted refund amount using your 2020 earned income.

If you already filed then you can amend your 2020 return AFTER it has already been fully processed. 

Select your tax year for amending instructions:

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017

     What does it mean to "amend" a return?

·         Do I Need to Amend my Tax Return?

Do not amend your tax return until the original return has been fully processed.

If you are asking about the monthly child tax credit payments, the IRS can use your 2019 or 2020 return to issue those monthly payments---and you do not have to have earned income to get the credit which is an advance on the credit you can get for 2021.    If you do not get the monthly payments you can still get the ctc payments on your 2021 tax return if you are eligible.  

https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-t...