Taxpayers should keep this and any other IRS letter regarding advance payments from the CTC in their tax records. We strongly recommend that you consult IRS letter 6419 before filing your taxes. Using incorrect quantities in the return could result in a manual review of the return, which could delay the return and refund for weeks. Letter 6419 is a one-page black and white letter with the IRS logo in the upper left corner.
It is issued by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. The TurboTax software does not instruct the taxpayer to do the same with the amount of letter 6475 (there is only one box). If the website shows the money you didn't receive, you may need to contact the IRS to request a follow-up on the payment. So, if you and your spouse are filing a joint return, you can enter the amount (adding up the amounts) of both letters as the total in that box in the TurboTax software.
Using the information in these letters when preparing a tax return can reduce errors and processing delays. When you complete your tax return, until you enter the amount you received for the third stimulus payment, the software assumes that you didn't receive any money. Unfortunately, the IRS has warned that some of the information in the letters could be wrong, which could hinder the process of completing your tax return. For a small number of people, the amount listed in your letter 6419 (prepayment letter for the child tax credit) may be incorrect.
In addition to the above details, letter 6419 describes how the IRS calculated your amount and the conditions for the refund. If you're married and filing jointly, you'll need both letters when you file your tax return, since both amounts must be added together on your tax return. Look for the IRS TREAS 310 CHILDCTC description to find specific monthly child tax credit payments. If you use a different number than the one on file with the IRS, your tax refund is likely to be delayed.
Letter 6419 is the official IRS document that contains the details you need to declare your advance payments of the Child Tax Credit (CTC).
