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IRS Says Mixed-Status Families Who Didn’t Get July Child Tax Credit Payments Will Receive Them in August

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In July, the IRS failed to distribute Child Tax Credit payments to many families, primarily those with a “mixed-status”— families with one parent in the household who filed their tax return using a Social Security number, and the other parent who filed with an ITIN. Here’s a list of resources and the answers to some common questions about the child tax credit:

1. Will I get a CTC payment in August if I didn’t receive it in July?
The IRS says yes, just as long as tax filers have SSNs or ITINs and children have SSNs, and meet the income requirements., and meet the income requirements. The IRS is aware of the problem and is working to fix it as soon as possible. An IRS spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CBS: “These taxpayers will start receiving payments in August. All impacted taxpayers will receive their July payment.”
If the IRS is able to fix the issue by Aug. 13 (when the next payments will be sent) then the remaining total will be split over the remaining months.

For example: If your family qualifies for a $1,000 payment from July to December (totaling $6,000), you would receive $1,200 per month for the next five months—$1,000 for August and $1000 for the missed July payment, split up over five months ($200 per month). If for some reason the IRS can’t fix the problem before the end of the year, parents will have to claim the child tax credit on their 2021 tax return next year.


2. Will mixed-status families receive their payments?
Yes. If your family is mixed-status (usually refers to when one individual filed with a Social Security number and another adult in the same household filed with an ITIN) that is likely what has caused the delay. According to the IRS, this glitch has mainly impacted mixed-status families. You will receive the payments if you used your Social Security number or ITIN when you filed your 2019 or 2020 tax return, or when you entered your information into the non-filer tool on irs.gov.


3. Will ITIN holders receive their CTC payments?Yes. Those with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) are eligible to receive child tax credits as long as every filer who claimed the child as a dependent has a valid SSN OR ITIN. The child being claimed as a dependent must have a valid Social Security Number. Learn more about ITINs here.

4. Is there anything else I can do now?
Unfortunately no. Every tax return and filing situation is different. The IRS sent Letter 6417 in the mail to all CTC recipients in June. If you were supposed to receive a child tax credit payment and it hasn’t come through, it’s important to keep all hard copies of communication or documents from the IRS that you’ve received as proof.

5. Other Resources:
Mixed-Status Families United Facebook Group
IRS Crédito tributario por hijos de 2021 y los pagos por adelantado del Crédito tributario por hijos — Tema A: Información general
Child Tax Credit Update Portal
Note: According to some filers who believe they are eligible for the CTC, the information in the IRS portal concerning their payment status was not correct. This may or may not be the case for your family’s return.

Kaley LaQuea is an award–winning print and digital journalist who’s been creating content since 2008. She’s passionate about economic, environmental and social justice. She has an unhealthy relationship with caffeine and two cats: Totoro and Mononoke.