Catching up on taxes... children's SSN numbers delayed - question please

Hello! I'm another delinquent (eek!).. I'm just catching up on my taxes and can't for the life of me figure out whether or not I can put my 2nd son down on my 2020-2022 taxes because I only managed to go to the UK embassy this year. Getting appointments for 2 years was so difficult (living in Yorkshire and travelling + covid).. Can I put his SSN down, despite not having it during those years? He was technically eligible for citizenship since birth, but I couldn't formalise it until this year..

Any help would be appreciated!

Hello! I'm another delinquent (eek!).. I'm just catching up on my taxes and can't for the life of me figure out whether or not I can put my 2nd son down on my 2020-2022 taxes because I only managed to go to the UK embassy this year. Getting appointments for 2 years was so difficult (living in Yorkshire and travelling + covid).. Can I put his SSN down, despite not having it during those years? He was technically eligible for citizenship since birth, but I couldn't formalise it until this year..

Any help would be appreciated!

Just bumping for visibility

If your child is a US citizen because you are a qualifying US citizen parent, it is simply a fact - going (or not) to the US embassy does not change that. I am not a tax professional but it seems logical that the SSN would apply retroactively. IMHO you can use it.

US law prohibits you from getting refundable child tax credits for year prior to 2022. For 2022, you can only claim the dependent if the SSN was issued by the due date of the tax return, including extensions. Consequently, you cannot claim child tax credit refunds for your second son. You are most likely due child tax refunds for any older children as well as the Covid stimulus refunds.