Parental Custody & Tax Credits: What You Need to Know

Do you have a legal agreement with your child’s other parent about who claims the child on their taxes? If so, you may have some questions about how to handle the Child Tax Credit and the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit when filing your tax return.

Economic Impact Payments and the Recovery Rebate Credit

The third Economic Impact Payment (EIP) was an advance payment of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS used your 2020 or 2019 tax information to determine eligibility and amounts. Here’s what that means for you:

• If you did NOT receive a third-round EIP for a child you will be claiming on your tax return, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, regardless of any EIP the other parent received.
• If you DID receive a third-round EIP for a child you will NOT be claiming on your tax return, you are NOT required to pay back the EIP if, based on the information reported on your 2021 tax return, you should have received less.

Child Tax Credit

The IRS determined who received 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit payments based on the information on your prior-year’s tax return. So if you claimed the Child Tax Credit on your 2020 return, you would have received the Advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2021. Here’s what that means for you: 

• If you knew you would not claim a child on your 2021 return, you had the option to unenroll from receiving monthly payments. If you did NOT unenroll and received monthly payments last year for a child you won’t be claiming on your 2021 tax return, you may have to repay those payments when you file. You may be excused from repaying some or all of the excess amount if you qualify for repayment protection.
• If you were an eligible parent who did NOT receive advance payments for your child, you will be able to claim the full amount of the Child Tax Credit on your 2021 tax return — even if the other parent received Advance Child Tax Credit payments.

Where Do You Stand?

The rules on economic impact and child tax credit payments can be confusing. If we’re preparing your taxes for you, we’ll make sure to take advantage of every tax credit available to you. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 706-632-7850 with any questions.

Start 2022 Off Right by Checking Your Withholding

If you’re getting back a large tax refund, that only means that you’ve been giving the IRS more money from each paycheck than you should. Since you don’t earn interest on that money, you should not be using that as a way to save. It’s often smarter to have less money withheld from your paycheck and sock it away in a savings account that pays you interest.

On the other hand, if you owe a lot on your taxes, then you should be having more money taken out of your paycheck, or you should be making quarterly estimated payments. Not paying enough taxes throughout the year can incur fees and penalties, adding to your tax bill.

Get the new year off to a good start by checking your federal income tax withholding and adjusting it if necessary. You can use the IRS’ Tax Withholding Estimator to help you figure the right amount of tax to withhold, whether you’re an employee or self-employed. To use the tool, you’ll need to estimate:

• Your 2022 income.
• The number of children you will claim for the child tax credit and earned income tax credit.
• Other items that will affect your 2022 tax return.

If you have more complicated income and expenses, such as pension income or long-term capital gains, you will not get a valid result using the Tax Withholding Estimator. Instead, contact us for help determining the appropriate withholding for your situation.