What is the cutoff for a child tax credit?

Asked by: Erica Jones  |  Last update: September 1, 2026
Score: 5/5 (2 votes)

For the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC), income thresholds for phase-outs (reduction of credit) begin at $200,000 for single/HoH filers and $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, reducing the credit by $50 for every $1,000 (or part thereof) above these limits, with the credit generally up to $2,200 per child for tax year 2025. Eligibility also depends on the child's age (under 17) and other factors like residency, citizenship, and having a Social Security number.

What is the maximum income to qualify for a Child Tax Credit?

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. 

Is there a cutoff for the Child Tax Credit?

The $2,200 maximum child tax credit and additional tax credit decreases if the parent or guardian's gross income is more than $200,000 when filing individually, or more than $400,000 if filing a joint return with a spouse.

What is too low of income for a Child Tax Credit?

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.

What is the cutoff date to claim a child on taxes?

To meet the qualifying child test, your child must be younger than you or your spouse if filing jointly and either younger than 19 years old or be a "student" younger than 24 years old as of the end of the calendar year.

What's the 2024 Child Tax Credit—How Do I Qualify? TurboTax Tax Tip Video

33 related questions found

Why don't I qualify for the child tax credit?

You are not eligible if any of these apply: You were a full-year nonresident. You have an IRS ban on claiming the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) You are another person's dependent or qualifying child.

Do you get $2000 per child on taxes in 2024?

Yes, for the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), you can get up to a $2,000 Child Tax Credit (CTC) per qualifying child, with up to $1,700 potentially refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) if you have earned income over $2,500, even if you owe no taxes. Eligibility depends on the child being under 17, meeting relationship and residency tests, and having a Social Security Number, plus your income must generally be below $200,000 ($400,000 if married filing jointly).

Why is my Child Tax Credit only $500 and not $2000?

Your child tax credit is likely $500 instead of $2,000 because they either turned 17 during the tax year, making them eligible for the Other Dependent Credit, or you might have mistakenly checked a box in your tax software, like saying their SSN isn't valid for employment or that they paid over half their own support, which triggers the lower credit amount, according to TurboTax support, TurboTax support, TurboTax support, and TurboTax support https://ttlc.intuit.index.php/community/taxes/discussion/my-daughter-is-17-but-is-still-jr-in-high-school-why-do-i-only-get-500-for-her-and-not-the-full-2000/00/3423950.

What reduces your Child Tax Credit?

The credit is reduced by 5 percent of adjusted gross income over $200,000 for single parents ($400,000 for married couples).

What is the maximum you can earn to get child tax credits?

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. 

How has the child tax credit changed?

Specifically, the Child Tax Credit was revised in the following ways for 2021: The credit amount was increased for 2021. The American Rescue Plan increased the amount of the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $3,600 for qualifying children under age 6, and $3,000 for other qualifying children under age 18.

Why am I not getting a $4,000 Child Tax Credit?

The nonrefundable Child Tax Credit will lower your tax liability down to $0. So you must have a tax liability in order to claim it. If you did not have at least a $4,000 tax liability, you would not be eligible for the entire credit, but you could be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit.

Was the Child Tax Credit ever $3,000?

Child poverty fell by nearly one-half, reaching its lowest level ever, after the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 temporarily increased the credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under 6) and allowed low-income families to be fully eligible for the credit.

Why am I getting ACTC and not CTC?

It's not something you qualify for on its own — the ACTC only comes into play if you can't claim the full CTC because your tax bill isn't high enough. Think of it like this: The CTC reduces your tax bill. The ACTC gives you a refund of what's left over (up to a limit) if you meet the income requirements.

What does $2000 per dependent mean?

"Claim dependent $2000" refers to the Child Tax Credit (CTC), a valuable tax benefit for parents and guardians, allowing up to $2,000 per qualifying child (under 17) to reduce taxes owed, with a potential refundable portion (Additional Child Tax Credit) for lower-income families, though amounts can change yearly. Claiming a dependent means listing them on your tax return to get this credit, plus other benefits like the $500 Credit for Other Dependents for relatives. 

How do you know if you're eligible for the child tax credit?

Families must have at least one qualifying child under 6 years old at the end of the tax year, must file a California state tax return, and meet the requirements of the CalEITC. Taxpayers do not need to have earned income to be eligible however, you must otherwise meet CalEITC and YCTC requirements.

Why wouldn't I get my child tax?

If you stop getting your CCB payments, it could be for one of the following reasons: You didn't file your tax return. You didn't respond to a letter from the Canada Revenue Agency CRA. You didn't tell the CRA that your address or banking information changed.

What disqualifies you from earned income credit?

You're disqualified from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for having income over the limit, exceeding the investment income cap (e.g., $11,950 in 2025), not having a valid Social Security Number, being a non-citizen/resident alien, claiming the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, or filing as married filing separately unless you meet specific rules. Other disqualifiers include not meeting age requirements (generally 25-64), being a dependent of someone else, or having prior EITC disallowed due to fraud/error.