In the US for the tax year 2025, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) gives up to $2,000 to each child who qualifies. Up to $1,700 of this amount may be refunded in some situations.
One of the most important requirements is that single filers can’t make more than $200,000 a year, and married couples filing equally can’t make more than $400,000. Children must also be younger than 17 years old. If you want to get the credit, you need to use Form 1040 and, if needed, Schedule 8812.
It’s not easy to get to the CTC, but it is possible
One important detail is that you must have made at least $2,500 to get the refundable part. Current rules say that this limits the advantage for families that don’t make enough money through work.
The CTC lowers tax bills for families with children or other dependents. The most a child can get in credits in 2025 is $2,000, and $1,700 of that is refundable if certain wage requirements are met. This means that you can get a return even if you don’t owe any taxes, as long as you can prove that you made money.
You can get this tax break if your child is under 17 years old, lives with you for more than half the year, and has a proper Social Security number. It is also required that the minor is dependent and a member of the country.
Based on the CTC, the child must be the taxpayer’s biological child, an adopted child, brother, or cousin. You must support yourself with less than half of your income and be claimed as a dependent. The taxpayer can’t count on someone else to file for them and must have either a Social Security number or an ITIN.
For single people, the credit goes down by $50 for every $1,000 over $200,000, and for married people, it goes down by $400,000. This takes away the benefits worth $240,000 and $440,000.
Calculations and amounts that can be reimbursed
You can get up to $1,700 for each child through the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). It is based on 15% of income over $2,500, up to a ceiling of $1,700. According to IRS rules, your income must be more than $13,834 to get the full amount.
To collect ACTC, you need to fill out Schedule 8812. For people with low incomes, tools like TurboTax or IRS Free File make the process easy. If this credit is included, refunds won’t happen until the middle of February.
