Why have I not received my Child Tax Credit payment?

Asked by: Albin Heaney  |  Last update: August 28, 2026
Score: 5/5 (71 votes)

Missing Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments often occur due to outdated IRS information, processing delays, or income thresholds being exceeded. Common reasons include closed bank accounts,, mail delays, or a, "1040-NR" (non-resident) filing status. For the 2021 advance payments specifically, if income was too high on the 2020/2019 return, payments may have been reduced or skipped.

Why am I not receiving my child tax credit?

Why am I not getting the child tax credit

  • You've entered something wrong.
  • Your child may be too old (over 16).
  • Your income is too high.
  • Your income is too low.
  • You are the custodial parent and the non-custodial parent is claiming the dependent this year.

Why didn't I get my CCB payment?

If you don't receive your CCB payment on the expected payment date, before you contact us, you can: Check the status of your payment in your CRA account. Make sure your personal information is up to date. Check other reasons for stopped or changed payments.

Why is the child tax credit being delayed?

The return has errors, is incomplete or is affected by identity theft or fraud. The return needs a correction to the child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amount. The return has a claim filed for an earned income tax credit, additional child tax credit, or includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation PDF.

How do I check the status of my child tax credit payment?

Get your advance payments total and number of qualifying children in your online account. You can use your username and password for the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to sign in to your online account. You can also refer to Letter 6419.

Why some eligible families aren’t getting Child Tax Credit payments

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Can you track a Child Tax Credit?

How do I get an update on my child tax credit check status? Your recurring monthly payments should've hit your bank account on the 15th of each month through December. According to the IRS, you can use the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to see your processed monthly payment history.

When can I expect my CTC refund?

If you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), the IRS cannot issue these refunds before mid-February. This applies to the entire refund, even the portion not associated with these credits. Check Where's My Refund in mid-to late February for your personalized refund date.

Why was the child tax credit stopped?

The Joe Manchin failure, and the larger failure

There's a very simple answer to why the child credit didn't continue: there weren't 50 senators willing to support its extension. And most public reporting suggests the main holdout was Sen. Joe Manchin.

What is the longest time to wait for a tax refund?

There's no strict maximum limit for how long the IRS can hold a refund, but they must pay interest after 45 days; while most e-filed returns take 21 days, returns needing extra review for errors, fraud, or certain credits (like EITC/ACTC) can take months (45-180+ days), and amended returns can take 8-16 weeks, with unfiled returns having an indefinite delay until filed. 

Why am I getting the additional child tax credit but not the child tax credit?

When a taxpayer's child tax credit is more than their tax liability, they may be eligible to claim an additional child tax credit as well. The additional tax credit is for certain individuals who get less than the full amount of the child tax credit.

Who gets the $2000 tax credit in Canada?

In Canada, a $2,000 tax credit often refers to the Pension Income Amount (Line 31400) for seniors receiving eligible pension/annuity income, creating a $300 federal credit (15% of $2,000), or a provincial Training Tax Credit for Apprentices, like British Columbia's $2,000 for completing specific training levels, while other benefits like the GST/HST Credit or Disability Benefit offer amounts varying based on income and family situation, not a fixed $2,000 for everyone. 

Will child tax credit increase in 2025?

Yes, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) increased to a maximum of $2,200 per qualifying child, up from $2,000 for 2024, thanks to the bipartisan One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed in mid-2025, which also made the credit partially refundable and added requirements for work-eligible Social Security Numbers for both parent and child. 

Why does a child tax credit take so long?

A non-refundable credit can only reduce the taxes you pay, not give you free money.) It is this Additional Child Tax Credit that delays a refund. By law, the IRS has to hold on to those refunds until mid-February to give them more time to check for fraud.

How do I contact Canada child tax credit?

If you need help or have any questions, call the telephone number in the letter or 1-800-387-1193.

Why is my child tax credit only $500 and not $2000?

Your child tax credit is likely $500 instead of $2,000 because they either turned 17 during the tax year, making them eligible for the Other Dependent Credit, or you might have mistakenly checked a box in your tax software, like saying their SSN isn't valid for employment or that they paid over half their own support, which triggers the lower credit amount, according to TurboTax support, TurboTax support, TurboTax support, and TurboTax support https://ttlc.intuit.index.php/community/taxes/discussion/my-daughter-is-17-but-is-still-jr-in-high-school-why-do-i-only-get-500-for-her-and-not-the-full-2000/00/3423950.

Who do I call if I haven't received my tax refund?

If you haven't received your federal tax refund, first use the IRS "Where's My Refund?" tool online or the IRS2Go app. If the tool says your refund was issued but you don't have it, or if it's taking longer than 21 days (for e-filed returns), you may need to call the IRS for a refund trace or contact your state's revenue department for state refunds.

Why is my refund taking too long?

Your refund is taking so long likely due to errors or incomplete info on your return, suspected identity theft/fraud, claiming certain tax credits (like EITC/ACTC), filing a paper return, or outstanding debts/audits, with electronic filing and direct deposit usually being the fastest, while mail or complex returns take longer for the IRS to process.

Why am I not getting the child tax credit?

You may claim YCTC for tax years 2021 and forward by filing or amending your state income tax return. However, for tax years prior to 2022 you will only be eligible for YCTC if you meet all CalEITC requirements, including having at least $1 of earned income in the tax year.

Does child tax credit stop?

Child Tax Credit ended on 5 April 2025. It was a legacy benefit paid to help people with the costs of bringing up a child. It has now been replaced by Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

Has the child tax credit gone down?

The Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Credit have reverted to pre-COVID levels. This means that taxpayers will likely receive a significantly smaller refund compared to last year. For 2022, the Child Tax Credit is worth $2,000 for each qualifying child.

How can I track my Child Tax Credit refund?

Tracking the status of a tax refund is easy with the Where's My Refund? tool. It's available anytime on IRS.gov or through the IRS2Go App. Taxpayers can start checking their refund status within 24 hours after an e-filed return is received.

Do tax credits delay refunds?

If you claim this credit, your refund may be delayed. By law, we must wait until mid-February to issue refunds to taxpayers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.

What is the payment schedule for the federal Child Tax Credit?

Starting in July, most families with children will get child tax credit payments in their bank account. People who receive payments by direct deposit will get their first payment by July 15 and payments will go out on the 15th of the month each month after that until the end of 2021.