Turbotax is saying I don't qualify for child or dependent tax credits because my son has an ITIN instead of an SSN. That's not true. He has a valid SSN.

[tishann19]

I don't know why it would say that he doesn't have a SSN when he does, they have it in his info already, and I've used it successfully every year so far.

[MonikaK1]

Go back to the Personal Info section of TurboTax and complete all of the interview questions for you and your family, checking the entry for your child's number.

All valid ITINs are a nine-digit number in the same format as the SSN (9XX-8X-XXXX), begins with a “9” and the 4th and 5th digits range from 50 to 65, 70 to 88, 90 to 92, and 94 to 99. See this IRS presentation for more information.

If there was a typo in your child's number so that it is in the format of an ITIN, instead of an SSN, this could cause TurboTax to respond as if an ITIN was entered.

[tishann19]

Yeah, I did check that before asking here. There was no typo. His social security number does not start with a nine, and it is accurate in the info section. It's a valid SSN and he is an American citizen that was born here. I also double checked to make sure I didn't accidentally check the box that says it's not a valid number, but that was correct as well. Everything is exactly the same as it has been the last seven or eight years I've been using Turbotax and claiming him. I can't find anything actually wrong with my return, so I'm wondering if it's a problem with the AI that was used to figure out if we're eligible. Thanks, though! 

[MonikaK1]

You might try general troubleshooting steps.  If you are using TurboTax Online, check your Internet connection. Logging out of TurboTax and back in, changing browsers, or clearing your cache and cookies often helps. 

Where in the program are you seeing a message that your son doesn't qualify for the child tax credit because he has an ITIN? What version of TurboTax are you using?

If you tried the troubleshooting steps and are still experiencing this issue, you can send us a “diagnostic” file that has your “numbers” but not your personal information.  If you would like to do this, here are the instructions for TurboTax Online users: 

Go to the black panel on the left side of your program and select Tax Tools. 

1. Then select Tools below Tax Tools. 
2. A window will pop up which says Tools Center.  
3. On this screen, select Share my file with Agent. 
4. You will see a message explaining what the diagnostic copy is.  Click okay through this screen and then you will get a Token number. 
5. Reply to this thread with your Token number. This will allow us to open a copy of your return without seeing any personal information.  

We will then be able to see exactly what you are seeing and we can determine what exactly is going on in your return and provide you with a resolution.

If you are using TurboTax Desktop please comment back and I will give you those instructions.

@tishann19