More households got a monthly payment of the child tax credit in August, reaching an additional 1.6 million kids relative to July, the Treasury Department and IRS said Friday.
The IRS disbursed $15 billion to families in the second round of payments, issued Friday to households with about 61 million total children, according to the agencies' announcement.
The federal government began sending the funds — up to $250 or $300 a month per child, depending on their age — on July 15.
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However, about 15% of families who received a direct deposit in July will instead get a paper check in the mail for their August payment due to a "technical issue," according to the announcement. The Treasury and IRS expect that problem to be resolved by the time the next payments are issued Sept. 15.
Families can visit the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to see if they're receiving a direct deposit or paper check in August.
The monthly payments are an advance on half the portion of a family's annual child tax credit. Households can opt out of receiving monthly payments and instead get their full credit during the 2022 tax season.
There are many reasons more families are getting a monthly payment in August than July, according to a Treasury official.