You have not explained why you have not been able to claim your son as a dependent on your tax returns for the past two years. If your tax returns that claimed your child were rejected when you tried to e-file then you should print, sign and mail the tax return instead. Then the IRS will hand process your return and sort out the problem if someone else claimed him and prevented you from e-filing. What did you do about your 2019 return? Did you file it or not?
And....how old is your son? You lose the child tax credit for 2019 or 2020 if he was older than 16 for those tax years and you only get the $500 credit for other dependents. For 2021 that will be different.
As for your 2020 return, if you are not able to e-file, then you can file it by mail. Before you do so, make sure you have entered your child as a dependent and that you have entered the child's Social Security number. Use the recovery rebate credit to get the 1st and 2nd stimulus payments if you did not receive them. The third payment comes later---so there is no place on your 2020 tax return to enter anything about the 3ed stimulus payment.
The stimulus check is an advance on a credit you can receive on your 2020 tax return. If something went wrong or you did not get the stimulus check in 2020, you can get it when you file your 2020 return in early 2021
The Recovery Rebate Credit will be found in the FEDERAL REVIEW section. ( you should see "Let's make sure you got the right stimulus amount”) If you are eligible it will end up on line 30 of your 2020 Form 1040.
Make sure that you enter ALL of the stimulus money received for the 1st and 2nd stimulus for yourself, your spouse and your children.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payment-information-center-topic-j-reconciling-on-your-...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901539-how-do-i-preview-my-turbotax-online-return-before-filing
Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the screen. Click on Tools. Click on View Tax Summary. Click on Preview my 1040 on the left side of the screen.
And....there will be a portal on the IRS site soon that you can use to make sure you get the upcoming child credit monthly payments. You will need to watch for that site to become available.
There will be monthly payments going out beginning in July 2021, with some of the CTC still left as a refundable credit on your 2021 tax return next year.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-will-the-stimulus-package-impact-me/01/1393859...
https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-unveils-online-tool-to-help-low-income-families-register-for-monthl...
IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021,
https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602921/child-tax-credit-update-irs-sending-letters-to-families-who-m...
https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602431/child-tax-credit-2021-who-gets-3600-will-i-get-monthly-paymen...
**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.**
