If you are working on a 2022 tax return, you need to understand that the criteria for getting the child tax credit for 2021 and for 2022 are very different. For tax year 2021 you could get the CTC even if you did not work or have any other income and the amount for the CTC was a lot more. For 2022 the CTC is back down to the lower amount of $2000, and you will not get the credit if you do not have taxable income. The credit can be used to lower the amount of tax you owe, and there is a refundable amount that can be added to your refund, but it is based on how much you earned by working.
Since you will not receive any W-2's until employers issue them by the end of January, you probably have not entered any of the income you earned yet, so it is saying you cannot get the CTC. If you worked and enter W-2's or 1099's that may change.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
