A tax refund check is often biggest check that many households see all year. The average federal income tax refund in 2024 was $3,138 based on IRS data through Dec. 27, down 0.9% from the same period in 2023. The IRS issued more than 104.8 million income tax refunds in 2024, down 0.8% from 2023.
Tax credit per child for 2024
The maximum tax credit per qualifying child is $2,000 for children under 17. For the refundable portion of the credit (or the additional child tax credit), you may receive up to $1,700 per qualifying child.
The IRS expects most EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by February 27 if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return.
There are seven federal income tax rates: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. These rates will remain unchanged through 2025 because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
You may be eligible for a California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) up to $3,644 for tax year 2024 as a working family or individual earning up to $30,950 per year. You must claim the credit on the 2024 FTB 3514 form, California Earned Income Tax Credit, or if you e-file follow your software's instructions.
How do I get a 10,000 tax refund? You could end up with a $10,000 tax refund if you've paid significantly more tax payments than you owe at the end of the year.
Use the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund online. This is the fastest and easiest way to track your refund. The systems are updated once every 24 hours.
Filing season reminders
There is information on Choosing a tax professional, IRS Free File, Answers to tax questions and Tips on filing a return. Taxpayers who file electronically and choose direct deposit typically get their refund in less than 21 days.
For 2024 (taxes filed in 2025), the child tax credit is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying dependent child.
The maximum credit amount is $500 for each dependent who meets certain conditions. This credit can be claimed for: Dependents of any age, including those who are age 18 or older. Dependents who have Social Security numbers or Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) increased the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for tax year 2021. Tax filers could claim a CTC of up to $3,600 per child under age 6 and up to $3,000 per child ages 6 to 17. There was no cap on the total credit amount that a filer with multiple children could claim.
If you owe money to a federal or state agency, the federal government may use part or all of your federal tax refund to repay the debt. This is called a tax refund offset. If your tax refund is lower than you calculated, it may be due to a tax refund offset for an unpaid debt such as child support.
Additional Child Tax Credit 2024 qualifications
The ACTC is equal to 15% of your earned income over the $2,500 threshold. The maximum ACTC is the smaller of the remaining CTC after reducing your tax to $0 or $1,700 per qualifying child.
So far in 2024, the average federal income tax refund is $2,850, an increase of 3.5% from 2023.
For tax year 2024, the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly rises to $29,200, an increase of $1,500 from 2023. For single taxpayers, the standard deduction rose to $14,600, a $750 increase from the previous year.
Married filing jointly is the most common filing status for married couples. This status has the highest standard deduction and some of the most beneficial tax rate brackets. You file together and report combined income, along with your combined deductions and qualifying credits on the same return.
By placing a “0” on line 5, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period.
You report the taxable portion of your Social Security benefits on line 6b of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. Your benefits may be taxable if the total of (1) one-half of your benefits, plus (2) all of your other income, including tax-exempt interest, is greater than the base amount for your filing status.
The IRS said Friday it will kick off the new tax season on Monday, Jan. 27, allowing taxpayers to begin filing their 2024 tax returns. The agency said it will also open its free Direct File service, which this year will be available to residents in 25 states beginning on the same day.
Overall, couples often get fewer benefits and might pay more in taxes when they file separately rather than jointly.