To receive the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit (the Additional Child Tax Credit), you must generally have at least $2,500 in earned income. If your total earned income is below this $2,500 threshold, you are typically ineligible for the refundable portion of the credit.
Do you have children who were 16 or under at the end of 2024 and at least $2,500 in earnings? If so, you may be eligible for the Child Tax Credit. It can provide a credit against your taxes of up to $2,000 per child. Even if you don't owe income tax, up to $1,700 of the Child Tax Credit is available as a refund.
Calculate your Child Tax Credit
However, the actual amount you qualify for per child depends on your MAGI. As we mentioned above, the CTC starts phasing out at $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married couples filing jointly. For every $1,000 you make above these limits, your CTC will be $50 less.
The Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) provides up to $1,189 per eligible tax return for tax year 2025. YCTC may provide you with cash back or reduce any tax you owe. California families qualify with earned income of $32,900 or less.
The Child and Dependent Care Credit (CDCC) income limits depend on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), phasing down the credit percentage as income rises, with the rate falling from 35% (for AGIs up to $15,000) to 20% (for AGIs over $43,000), though some states and future tax years (like 2026) may have different rules and higher income thresholds, making the credit smaller at higher incomes but still available for many, unlike the Child Tax Credit which has specific income caps for full amounts.
You must have earned income of at least $2,500 to be eligible for the ACTC. You qualify for the full amount of the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return).
For the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC), the full amount starts phasing out when Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeds $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, with the credit reduced by $50 for every $1,000 over these thresholds, though some states offer separate CTCs with different income limits. To claim the federal CTC, you generally need a qualifying child with a Social Security Number and must meet other dependency rules, and you may get a partial credit even with higher income.
You (and your spouse, if you're married) must have "earned income," meaning money earned from a job. Non-work income, such as investment profits, doesn't count. You must have paid for the care so that you could work or look for work.
Yes, you can get the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) with no earned income if you have other income that creates a tax liability, but you need at least $2,500 in earned income to get the refundable portion (Additional Child Tax Credit), meaning you can get money back even if you owe no tax; otherwise, the credit only reduces your tax owed to zero. For the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025) and going forward, you must have some earned income to claim the refundable part (ACTC).
You do not need income to be eligible for the Child Tax Credit if your main home is in the United States for more than half the year. If you do not have income, and do not meet the main home requirement, you will not be able to benefit from the Child Tax Credit because the credit will not be refundable.
Your income doesn't directly impact your credit score, though how much money you make affects your ability to pay off your loans and debts, which in turn affects your credit score. "Creditworthiness" is often shown through a credit score.
Most errors happen because the child claimed doesn't meet the qualification rules: Relationship: The child must be related to you. Residency: The child must live in the same home as you for more than half the tax year. Age: The child must meet the age requirements.
For the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC), the full amount starts phasing out when Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeds $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, with the credit reduced by $50 for every $1,000 over these thresholds, though some states offer separate CTCs with different income limits. To claim the federal CTC, you generally need a qualifying child with a Social Security Number and must meet other dependency rules, and you may get a partial credit even with higher income.
To be eligible for the CCB, you must meet all of the following conditions:
Eligible taxpayers can claim a child tax credit and reduce their federal income tax liability by up to $2,200 per qualifying child. The maximum credit a taxpayer can receive equals the number of qualifying children a taxpayer has multiplied by $2,200.
CCB amounts are based on adjusted family net income
The benefit amount you may receive based on your 2024 adjusted family net income: Less than $37,487. You get the maximum benefit amount for each eligible child. There is no reduction.
Qualifications for the Child Tax Credit depend on several factors including the child's age, relationship, residency, and the taxpayer's income. Use Schedule 8812 and Form 1040 to claim the Child Tax Credit on your individual tax return.
FTB Part B primary earner income limit
A. 20) of no more than $120,007 per annum. This means, if the primary earner's income is greater than $120,007, the family is no longer eligible to receive FTB Part B. Single parent families with an income of $120,007 or less may be entitled to the maximum rate of FTB Part B.
7) Family income test - The Child Tax Credit is reduced if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is above certain amounts, which are determined by your tax-filing status. The phaseout of the credit begins with $200,000 of MAGI ($400,000 for Married Filing Jointly).
To receive the credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses, the expenses had to have been paid for care to be provided so that you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) could work or look for work. If both spouses do not show "earned income" (W-2's, business income, etc.), you generally cannot claim the credit.
A new Child Tax Credit (CTC) law, part of the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA), makes significant changes starting in 2025, increasing the credit to $2,200 per child (indexed to inflation), adding a citizenship requirement for parents, and making the credit partially refundable (up to $1,700) for low-income families, while permanent changes from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are retained, reverting to pre-22021 rules for full refundability and advance payments.