What is the child tax credit?

The child tax credit is a per-child tax credit against your personal income tax liability. The child tax credit is $2,200 per child.

If you have a qualifying child under the age of 17, you may be entitled to claim this credit. A qualifying child may be a dependent child, stepchild, adopted child, sibling, or stepsibling (or descendant of these individuals), or an eligible foster child. The child must be a U.S. citizen or resident and must live with you for over half the year.

A nonrefundable credit of $500 is also available for qualifying dependents other than qualifying children.

The child tax credit and the credit for other dependents begin to phase out if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds a certain level. The credit can be fully phased out for MAGI in excess of $400,000 for married persons filing jointly, $200,000 for all others. In general, the credit is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 that your MAGI exceeds the above amounts. To claim the child tax credit, you must file federal Form 1040 and attach Schedule 8812.

The child tax credit is refundable, so you may be able to obtain a refund even if the credit exceeds your regular or alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability. The credit is refundable to the extent of 15 percent of your earned income in excess of $2,500, up to $1,700 per-child (in 2025 and 2026). Special rules may apply if you have three or more qualifying children and are eligible for the earned income credit (EIC).