Child Tax Credit: IRS warns of potential delays for monthly checks

The expansion of the Child Tax Credit is considered one of the most significant tax changes in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, given the measure will pay out monthly checks later this year to millions of families. But the IRS is warning that families may face delays in receiving the checks as it grapples with sending stimulus checks and handling its current tax season duties. 

The relief bill overhauled the Child Tax Credit (CTC) by expanding the benefit from $2,000 annually to as much as $3,600 per child, including more low-income families in the tax benefit — and doling out half of the money through monthly cash payments. Those monthly payments are scheduled to start in July and run through December, and could provide a measure of financial stability to millions of families as the economy begins to recover from the pandemic. "It might be a challenge to get into monthly right out of the box," IRS commissioner Charles Rettig told lawmakers on Thursday. He added that the tax agency would "do our best."