There’s only a few months left to sign up for advance child tax payments. Here’s what it means for future checks

Millions of American families with kids have received three monthly payments since July totaling $45 billion through the new enhanced child tax credit.

There’s a limited amount of time for families with eligible children to sign up if they didn’t get the checks automatically, likely because they don’t traditionally file a tax return. The IRS non-filer portal will be open through Oct. 15, according to the agency, meaning there’s just one month left for families to use it.

“If parents haven’t already gotten the payment and they’re eligible for it, it’s not too late to sign up,” said Ashley Burnside, a policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy. “They can use the IRS portal, that’s still an option.”

After October, families will be able to use GetCTC.org, a site launched by Code for America in collaboration with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the White House, to sign up for the credit through mid-November, according to a Treasury official.