Federal Advance Child Tax Credit Payments

Workforce Services Information Notice
WSIN21-05

Issued: July 26, 2021

On March 11, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to deliver immediate and direct relief to families, workers, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ARPA increased the Child Tax Credit (CTC) from $2,000 to $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17, and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of six.

Starting July 15, 2021, eligible families will automatically begin to receive the first half of the CTC through advance monthly payments of $250 to $300 per child that will be paid directly by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through the end of the year. The other half of the benefit will be paid through 2021 income tax returns. The Advance CTC payments will not affect eligibility for other federal benefits like the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program.

The IRS will issue the Advance CTC monthly payments by direct deposit or check to eligible families who filed 2020 taxes this year or filed 2019 taxes last year, or used the IRS Non-Filer Portal to receive their Economic Impact Payment last year. Families who did not file a tax return for either 2019 or 2020, and who did not use the IRS Non-filer Portal last year to sign up for their Economic Impact Payments, should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up for the CTC now.

America’s Job Center of California^SM staff are encouraged to disseminate the official ARPA CTC flyer (PDF) to promote the benefit and raise awareness about the Advance CTC monthly payments. Additional information and resource materials are available online at The Child Tax Credit website.

/s/ NICOLE LAKTASH, Acting Chief
Central Office Workforce Services Division