Is it possible to manage child tax credit in TurboTax

[sergrpd]

I have a child 11 y.o. (dependent) who qualifies for the Child Tax Credit in the U.S., because my child meets all the following criteria except the last one (no SSN, as SSA refused us to issue it for the child, because the child is on L-2 visa):

1. Age Requirement: The child must be under the age of 17 at the end of the tax year.
2. U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or Resident Alien: The child must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or resident alien.
3. Relationship: The child must be the taxpayer's son, daughter, adopted child, or stepchild.
4. Dependent Status: The child must be claimed as a dependent on the tax return.
5. Social Security Number (SSN): The child must have a valid SSN issued by the Social Security Administration.

Based on that, I understand, that I am not eligible to obtain child tax credit for the 2024 tax year.

Is it possible in TurboTax to resolve this issue and somehow to get an SSN for the child?

If not, maybe you can suggest how to manage this situation in general. Thank you.

[xmasbaby0]

No, TurboTax cannot get a Social Security number for your child.    You will have to deal with Social Security yourself to accomplish that.

[xmasbaby0]

Meanwhile...if your child has an ITIN, you can get the $500 credit for other dependents with an ITIN.   But you cannot get the child tax credit until he has a SSN.   If you think you can get a SSN by mid-October----request an extension and wait to file your tax return.

[sergrpd]

Thank you. It’s now clear that it is unlikely to obtain an SSN for our child, as we will be on these visas (I am on an L-1 visa, and my dependents – spouse and child – are on L-2 visas) for approximately the next 4-5 years, until our Green Card process is completed. Therefore, there is no point in filing for an extension until October.

However, do you think the child on L-2 visa is eligible to obtain an ITIN now (so that we can get $500 credit)? Thank you, this sounds promising.

[RobertB4444]

TurboTax has no ability for you to apply for a social security number using the software.  You will have to continue to use the tools available through the Social Security Administration to get this taken care of.  

Social Security Administration contact information

@sergrpd 

[sergrpd]

Thank you. Clear now.

Once my child has an ITIN (I will handle it with SSA), is it possible to use the ITIN in TurboTax to get child credit of $500?

[RobertB4444]

Yes.  When asked for your Social Security Number just enter your ITIN instead.

@sergrpd