It is not quite clear what you are trying to do. Was your child born in 2020 or in 2021?
If you have a child who was born in 2020, then that child should have been claimed on your 2020 tax return. The amount of "stimulus" money you could get for claiming a child on a 2020 tax return amounted to $1100 total----the first EIP payment of $500 for a dependent under the age of 17, and the 2nd one of $600 for dependent under the age of 17.
If your child was not born until 2021, then your child could not be claimed until you prepared a 2021 tax return.
The third EIP (aka "stimulus") amount was on a 2021 tax return and you could get $1400 for claiming a child (or any other dependent).
The child tax credit for tax year 2020 was a maximum amount of $2000, with a refundable amount of $1400, based on your income earned from working.
The child tax credit for 2021 was a maximum amount of $3600 for a child under the age of 6. Many people got the first half of that as advance monthly payments between July to December 2021, and the other "half" as refundable amount on their 2021 tax returns. You did not have to work to get the child tax credit for 2021.
The rules are different now for a 2022 tax return. Now you have to have income from working or you are not eligible for the refundable "additional child tax credit" which is a maximum amount of $1500-----based on your income from working. The total amount of child tax credit per child is $2000 for 2022; it is used first to reduce your tax owed, then you may get the rest--up to that $1500-- per child IF you worked in 2022.
If you WORKED in 2020 or 2021 you might also have qualified to receive earned income credit. But that credit is based on working and on how much you earned from working.
So.....if you are preparing or amending your returns for 2020 or 2021:
Make sure you have entered your child as a dependent in My Info, and that you have entered the child's Social Security number. Careful— do not say that your child’s SSN is not valid for employment. If your child was born in 2020 make sure you said he lived with you the whole year. There is an oddly worded question that asks if the child paid over half their own support. Say NO to that question.
In order to get the child-related credits you have to file returns for 2020 and for 2021. They are separate returns that must be mailed separately. They cannot be e-filed.
**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.**
