@@ IRS Child Tax Credit Portal available

[redheadbaker]

If you want to opt-out of monthly child tax credit payments, the portal is available now: www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal

If you're married filing jointly, your spouse will also need to unenroll. 

[Jalapeñomel]

Thanks for the heads up!

[karinothing]

Thank you!

[waverly]

What are the advantages to unenrolling? I didn't think we were eligible due to higher income, but I look again and maybe we are. So I am confused.

I basically do not want a large tax bill at the end of the year. So if I unenroll, will that prevent that?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I didn't research it since I didn't think we were eligible, and now I think we might be partially.

[Jalapeñomel]

It'sa real PITA to get into this site.

It keeps denying my pics, this is frustrating! 

[purplinsky]

Jun 22, 2021 9:24:18 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

It'sa real PITA to get into this site.

It keeps denying my pics, this is frustrating! 

This is a huge PITA! I finally got my drivers license pics through but now the link to the selfie keeps getting an error and it won't send a new link when I click the 'send a new text' option. I really want to unenroll but after 30 minutes just trying to set up my account to probably just check a box I'm not sure it's worth it. I get the need for identify verification, but maybe you should ensure your site works before making it live. I'll have to try again this evening, for now I need to get to work.

[karinothing]

Jun 22, 2021 9:36:01 GMT -5 purplinsky said:

Jun 22, 2021 9:24:18 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

It'sa real PITA to get into this site.

It keeps denying my pics, this is frustrating! 

This is a huge PITA! I finally got my drivers license pics through but now the link to the selfie keeps getting an error and it won't send a new link when I click the 'send a new text' option. I really want to unenroll but after 30 minutes just trying to set up my account to probably just check a box I'm not sure it's worth it. I get the need for identify verification, but maybe you should ensure your site works before making it live. I'll have to try again this evening, for now I need to get to work.

I think the ID me or whatever it is called has been used for a while, so maybe it is just crashing because everyone is trying to do this right now.

[chilerellanos]

Thanks! I was able to unenroll!

[redheadk]

For the id.me, I had success from my phone. I couldn’t get the live video selfie to take from my laptop and then I didn’t have the option to verify myself anymore so I made a new account (just stick an extra period in your email address if you use gmail, gmail ignores periods do it will deliver to your inbox but id.me considers it a unique email address). Worked just fine from my phone with no problems.

[ohgillian]

Jun 22, 2021 9:22:02 GMT -5 waverly said:

What are the advantages to unenrolling? I didn't think we were eligible due to higher income, but I look again and maybe we are. So I am confused.

I basically do not want a large tax bill at the end of the year. So if I unenroll, will that prevent that?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I didn't research it since I didn't think we were eligible, and now I think we might be partially.

I unenrolled because I'm not convinced we qualify, and I don't want a bad surprise next April. 

[chilerellanos]

I unenrolled because I’m divorced and me and my ex alternate who claims my 15 yo on taxes, and it’s his turn in January.

[lessel]

Thanks! I unenrolled. I feel like this has a more thorough description of the phasing out process that I've previously read. I was expecting we'd be phased out before, but now that's less clear to me.

Now I have to walk DH through unenrolling... that part is kind of annoying.


ETA: So DH just unenrolled too and his final screen looked different than mine. So I went back to confirm I unenrolled correctly and it just says under the eligibility section, "Eligible - No. You will not receive advance payments." That seems not quite right. Is anyone else who unenrolled seeing the same thing now? It definitely said I was eligible before. 

[breezy8407]

waverly The first article I read said max of $150k married filling jointly, but after further reading it sounds like it just starts phasing out at that amount.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jun 22, 2021 10:13:25 GMT -5 redheadk said:

For the id.me, I had success from my phone. I couldn’t get the live video selfie to take from my laptop and then I didn’t have the option to verify myself anymore so I made a new account (just stick an extra period in your email address if you use gmail, gmail ignores periods do it will deliver to your inbox but id.me considers it a unique email address). Worked just fine from my phone with no problems.

I cannot seem to do it from either one. I will have to try later today. 

[savan]

I couldn't get it to work either. I had to take pictures of my driver's license multiple times before it was accepted. Then it scanned my face and I put in my SSN, but it still rejected me in the end. I guess I'll try again later.

[icedcoffee]

My face can't be found. Ugh.

[kath16]

do i have to go through all the steps to check my eligibility? we are very close to the limit based on gross income, but I think AGI is under. if i'm not eligible, i want to unenroll, but i'm maybe 90% sure we are eligible and this website is confusing.

ETA ohh I found it somehow, so... nevermind! 

[mysteriouswife]

Is there a clear breakdown of when the child needs to be 6? Do they go by 2020 filing age or 2021? DS turned 6 last week. Will we get the $250 or $300?

[smock]

Jun 22, 2021 14:17:34 GMT -5 mysteriouswife said:

Is there a clear breakdown of when the child needs to be 6? Do they go by 2020 filing age or 2021? DS turned 6 last week. Will we get the $250 or $300?

It's the kid's age on 12/31/2021, so kids that turn 6 this year will count as 6 for the purposes of the credit.

[dancingirl21]

Thanks! I was able to unenroll, but man they don't make that easy. I can see why people would give up.

[sent]

Are you all having to use your face photos to unenroll? Or to get into the site?

Unrelated to this, I made an account for the first time on the main IRS site today because I owed a tiny penalty and wanted to pay it ASAP. I was clicking around and it said we qualified so maybe we qualify for a phased out amount. I ran out of time to continue investigating on whether to stay in or opt out.

[underwaterrhymes]

Thank you! I was able to unenroll. I had to take my glasses off to get the face scanner piece to work.

[underwaterrhymes]

Also, for those confused about whether they qualify or not, if you jointly make $150,000 or less, you qualify for the full amount. It starts to phase out there, but if you jointly make less than $400,000 a year, you will still get something.

[Jalapeñomel]

I finally got on. I’ll have to wait to get my DH to do his, because it sucks. Lol

[karinothing]

Why do both spouses have to do this for joint? So lame.

[smock]

We might be near the limit for the full credit (our income is so up and down that it's impossible to predict) but I'm not opting out. I'd rather have the money now, especially with gonzo summer camp bills coming in.

[wawa]

having been through one federal government data leak of my aggregated personal info already, I can't say I'm thrilled about the level of info required to get into this portal. 

And the fact that if there's an alternate way to access this information that doesn't involve a cumbersome AF website, it's REALLY unclear what that might be. (i looked)

Also the fact that I can't find the information on HOW it phases out?  like, the point at which it starts phasing and is totally phased out are given - but no idea what the graduations in between are?  that would have been relevant to our decision on this.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jun 22, 2021 9:22:02 GMT -5 waverly said:

What are the advantages to unenrolling? I didn't think we were eligible due to higher income, but I look again and maybe we are. So I am confused.

I basically do not want a large tax bill at the end of the year. So if I unenroll, will that prevent that?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I didn't research it since I didn't think we were eligible, and now I think we might be partially.

My understanding is that if you unenroll and are eligible, you will get it when you file your taxes.  I am unenrolling because our income will change since we are changing # of dependents this year, and I don't know what that will do to our taxes quite yet. 

[sicilygirl]

Here’s some general info:

For each of your qualifying children age 5 or younger, generally you will receive $300. That is determined by dividing $3,600 in half, which is $1,800. Six monthly payments of $300 will provide you with $1,800.

For each of your qualifying children ages 6 to 17, generally you will receive $250. That is determined by dividing $3,000 in half, which is $1,500. Six monthly payments of $250 will provide you with $1,500.

There are two phase outs:
Phase out 1:
The Child Tax Credit begins to be reduced to $2,000 per child if your modified AGI in 2021 exceeds:

$150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower;
$112,500 if filing as head of household; or
$75,000 if you are a single filer or are married and filing a separate return.
The first phaseout reduces the Child Tax Credit by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) by which your modified AGI exceeds the income threshold described above that is applicable to you.

Phase out 2:
The Child Tax Credit won’t begin to be reduced below $2,000 per child until your modified AGI in 2021 exceeds:

$400,000 if married and filing a joint return; or
$200,000 for all other filing statuses.
The second phaseout reduces the Child Tax Credit by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) by which your modified AGI exceeds the income threshold described above that is applicable to you.

[sicilygirl]

To follow up, you won’t be in danger of owing the IRS back any of the advanced payments until your MAGI exceeds $400k, if you’re MFJ, since the advance is capped at $1800/child and your credit won’t be reduced below $2,000 until that income level.