IRS Rejection Code "IND-116," regarding the age of a dependent in relation to taking the Child Tax Credit, indicates that the information entered on the federal tax return is not the information in the IRS database. As the IRS receives their information from the Social Security Administration, if the date of birth entered for the dependent is correct and you are still receiving this rejection from the IRS, you will want to confirm or correct the information with the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (or your local office).

Please note that while the birth date entered in the program may allow the child tax credit to calculate in the return because the age of the person would be under 17 at the end of the tax return year, the IRS has the final say in the rejection if their records are showing that the individual with that social security number was not under 17 at the end of the year. We have found that the IRS appears to verify the ages of dependents qualifying for the Child Tax Credit only in the year the IRS believes they are 17 or older. They do not reject returns (even if the date of birth does not match their records) in years prior to that.

Unless you find that the SSA can get the correct information to the IRS in time to file your return electronically, you may need to paper file the return. If you need help, go to our How to Mail a Paper Return (Paper File) FAQ.