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Start by entering your own personal information in My Info, then enter your child's information including the child's date of birth and Social Security number. If the child was born in 2019 you have to say they lived with you the whole year. Go through all the screens of My Info for the child.Once you have all of that entered, the child should show up as your dependent.
Then enter your income. You get child-related credits based on the amount of income you earned by working.
There is no "child tax return", per se. In particular, you do not automatically get $2000 per child, that you may have heard of.
The money you hear about people getting for just filing a tax return claiming kids requires them to have some earned income (wages or self employment). Without earned income, they are not eligible for the "refundable" Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit. Both credits are calculated on the amount of earned income you have. No earned income means no "refund". A small amount of earned income means a small refund. The child tax credit does not "kick in" unless you have at least $2500 of earned income.
A child can be the “qualifying child” dependent of any close relative in the household. If you live with someone else, e.g. your parents, it may be better if they claim your child.
Instead, you could allow the non-custodial parent to claim the children. Non-custodial parents are allowed to claim the child tax credit, but not the Earned income credit.
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You do not select the Child Tax credit (CTC). If you are entitled to it, TurboTax (TT) will automatically give it to you.
There are 6 possible reasons; you aren’t getting the Child Tax credit (CTC). It’s usually #4:
Previously it was $75,000 for single, head of household, and qualifying widow or widower filers; and $110,000 for joint filers.
To get a 'second opinion' on-line direct from IRS, try https://www.irs.gov/uac/is-my-child-a-qualifying-child-for-the-child-tax-credit
https://www.irs.gov/uac/Ten-Facts-about-the-Child-Tax-Credit
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