Turbo tax is not letting me claim my kids under the child tax credit, it is putting them under the other dependent credit, what do I do?

[xmasbaby0]

Do the children have Social Security numbers?  if they do not have SSN's you cannot get the child tax credit.  if they have ITIN's you get the $500 credit for other dependents for them.  Or if they are over 16 you do not get the CTC.

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-f...

[isabelmac93]

They do have a ssn and I included that on the app. They also do not have an itin as they are age 8, 6, and 4. Also my wife (their mother) and I live together and file this joint return. So I they should still qualify for the child tax credit.

[isabelmac93]

They do have a ssn and I included that on the app. They also do not have an itin as they are age 8, 6, and 4. Also my wife (their mother) and I live together and file this joint return. So I they should still qualify for the child tax credit.

[xmasbaby0]

What do you see on your Form 1040?

Look at your 2019 Form 1040 to see the child-related credits you received

PREVIEW 1040

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901539-how-do-i-preview-my-turbotax-online-return-before-filing

Child Tax Credit line 13a

Credit for Other Dependents line 13a

Earned Income Credit line 18a

Additional Child Tax Credit line 18b

Child and Dependent Care Credit line 18d

[isabelmac93]

13a has $1500 in the blank and 18a has nothing in the blank. In addition the box that has my kids names in them are checked for credit for other dependents, not for the child credit.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

Try this----delete the children and then re-enter them as your dependents.  That might clear something out.  If they have SSN's then you should be getting CTC.  Make sure you said they lived with you all year and that they do not pay for their own support.

[isabelmac93]

Ok thank you I will try that and let you know if that does not work.

[Critter]

If you and the other parent and the kids all live together  then only you or the other parent will claim the kids for all child related items.  Carefully read the screens in the kid section  ... if you are not married then the person claiming the kids  needs to say that the other parent will not claim them.  

[bilks]

I am having the same issue with my 15 year old. Deleting and re-entering his data did not work. Any other ideas?

[Critter-3]

@bilks 

Do you and the other parent live together ?  

Are you married ? 

If so are you filing separately or jointly ? 

[Pitts2021]

I am having the same issue. This happened last year and I didn’t catch it. So this year I deleted my son and re did it and it happened again… so frustrating.

[Vanessa A]

Usually if it is giving you the Other Dependent Credit instead of the Child Tax Credit, it is because of the way you are answering the questions about your children or they no longer qualify for the child tax credit.

Is your son under 18?  If not, then he does not qualify for the Child Tax Credit.  He can be a qualifying child for other purposes if he is 18-24 and a full-time student, but not for the Child Tax Credit. 

If so, does he meet the rest of the criteria below?

• Lived with you for more than 6 months during the tax year
• Did not provide more than half of his own support
• He did not file a joint return, unless it was to claim a refund

If your son meets all of the above criteria, then go back through your personal info section and double check your answers for him.  

[Pitts2021]

He is 5 and he has lived with me since birth and no one else is claiming him. For some reason after 2018 it has switched him to other dependent… I answered all the questions correctly. I didn’t even get the stimulus for him… I feel like I need to go to another tax preparation next year.. 

[xmasbaby0]

@Pitts2021 You have to be answering a question incorrectly.   What did you enter when it asked for his Social Security number?  Did you say it was not valid for employment?  That would mess you up.

Make sure you have entered your child as a dependent in My Info, and that you have entered the child's Social Security number. If your child was born in 2021make 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.

You can amend as far back as 2018 to claim your child correctly and get the child related  credits.