@James Iglesias wrote:
But If my son didn't have his SSN during 2024, I wouldn't be able to claim the CTC for that year. I applied for his SSN in March 2025 and my son was born on july 2024 would I be elegible to claim the CTC for 2024?
If you have the child's SSN before you file an "on time" tax return, they are eligible for the full $2000 child tax credit. So you need to wait to file your 2024 return until after the SSN is issued, and if it is not issued by April 15, you must get an extension so your return will be considered on time when you eventually file it. (The new deadline would be October 15 and SSNs are usually issued faster than that.) If you file without the SSN, or you file after the SSN but the return is late because you did not get an extension, they are only eligible for the $500 credit for "other dependent."
(Also, be sure to indicate the child lived with you "the whole year" which is the correct answer for a newborn no matter when they were actually born.)
This answer has been verified for accuracy by an Intuit expert employee
