If you are the only person who can claim the child then for 2021 AND ONLY 2021 you don't need ANY taxable income to get the refundable CTC so use one of the FREE programs to complete and file the return for 2021. DON'T be in a rush to file ... returns with the CTC on them will not even start to process until mid to late February and don't expect a fast refund this year ... delays are inevitable.
Be aware that the online TurboTax Free Edition is very limited to only simple returns--so be careful----if your return requires any of the schedules or extra forms then an upgrade to a paid version will be required.
There are still eight various software providers who will participate in the Free File program but they will not be available until sometime in January----so if you want to use one of them---WAIT.
Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free when the program opens in January
https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
