Living overseas, newborn child did not have social security number by tax return due date

[cali-joy]

My youngest was born overseas in Sept 2018, and for many complicated reasons, we didn't get his social security number until July 2019. Since we didn't owe any taxes, and I heard there was an automatic extension for military overseas, I never filed an official extension. We finally filed our taxes in mid July after getting our baby's social security number. After we filed, the IRS deducted $2,000 from our return because our youngest did not have a taxpayer identification number by the due date of the tax return. Is there anything at all that I can do to get that money back?

[DoninGA]

If the military taxpayer is on active duty stationed outside the US and Puerto Rico they have an automatic 2 month extension to file a 2018 tax return on or before June 17, 2019.  If additional time is needed to file the 2018 tax return then the taxpayer must file a Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return on or before June 17, 2019 for an extension to October 15, 2019.  If the form 4868 is not filed then the due date of the 2018 tax return is June 17, 2019.

Since you did not file a Form 4868 and the child did not receive a SS number until after the due date of the return the IRS will deny any Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit and Other Dependent Credit for the 2018 tax return based on the child being a dependent.

[TomD8]

If your dependent child did not receive his/her SSN until after the due date of your return, option one is to file an amended return that includes her SSN.   See this IRS reference:

https://www.irs.gov/faqs/filing-requirements-status-dependents/dependents/dependents-9

[Critter]

Sadly the IRS is correct...you did not file a timely return or extension so the child tax credit is not allowed due to the new rules installed a couple of years ago. You could beg for a reconsideration but I doubt it will work.