This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJW) – Changes to the Child Tax Credit will make advance payments available for many families.

Starting July 15, the IRS will pay half the total credit amount in advance.

You can claim the other half when you file your 2021 income tax return.

You must have filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return and claimed the Child Tax Credit on the return.

If you didn’t, there’s a new online tool by the IRS to submit your information without filing a return.

With the online tool you can submit information to determine eligibility.

You also need to have resided in the United States for more than half the year and have a qualifying child under the age of 18 at the end of 2021 who has a valid Social Security Number.

You must also meet the income requirements.

If you have done all of these things, there’s nothing else you need to do right now.

The IRS will determine if you qualify and automatically enroll you for advance payments.