The letter has a big box at the top stating: "2021 Total Advance Child Tax Credit (AdvCTC) Payments."
The letter states in bold: "Keep this important tax information. You need it to prepare your 2021 income tax return."
The very top of the correspondence does not state "Letter 6419" in bold letters across the top. But it is marked as "Letter 6419" on the very bottom right-hand corner.
The term "Letter 6419" is also listed in Box 1 at the top of the letter in the sentence that refers to married couples filing a joint return for the tax year 2021.
Great question. You might expect one letter. After all, a married couple that files a joint return sends in one tax return, so it would be logical that one couple would receive one letter. But that's not the case at all.
The IRS will be sending two letters — and you're going to need to keep both of them — to married couples filing a joint return, according to April Walker, lead manager for tax practice and ethics with the American Institute of CPAs.
According to instructions on the example posted at IRS.gov: "If you file a joint return for tax year 2021, you must add the amounts in Box 1 from both Letters 6419 and enter the total amount on Schedule 8812."
Keep both letters. Do not assume you got a duplicate letter out of the blue and throw one away.
The letter itself spells out two key components that were used to calculate your advance child tax credit payments in 2021.
Box 1, which is at the very top of this letter, will tell you the total dollar amount of money you received for the advance child tax credit payments over six months in 2021. You need to enter that amount on Schedule 8812 called "Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents" on line 14f or line 15e, whichever applies.
Box 2, which is right under Box 1, lists the number of qualifying children that were taken into account when the advance payments were determined for 2021. (Note: If you are dressing and feeding two little ones in the morning — including a baby born in 2021 — the box will likely list one child. Parents who had a baby born in 2021 did not receive advance payments last year but now can claim that child on their 2021 income tax returns to receive money.)
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