Why didn’t I get back more for my dependent?
Your refund is not broken down by how much you "get" for each dependent. Each dependent gives you a personal exemption of $4050, which lowers the amount of your income that you are taxed on. It is not a refund.
There are several child-related credits you *may* get if you have a dependent child.
You might be getting the Child Tax Credit--that is not a refund--it lowers the tax you owe, up to $1000 per child, but if you do not owe tax then you may not get the full amount of CTC. In some cases, you could qualify for the "Additional Child Tax Credit" which is a refundable credit, and would increase your refund. If you qualify for this credit, TurboTax calculates and automatically adds it to your refund.
You might be able to claim the child and dependent care credit if you paid someone to take care of your child so you could work. This is not a refundable credit, so it will not be in your refund. It can lower your taxable income.
You might qualify for Earned Income Credit, which is a refundable credit if you worked and earned income. The EIC is based on the amount you earned. If you do qualify for EIC, TurboTax automatically calculates the amount and adds it to your refund.
Look at your tax return to see the child-related /dependent credits you received:
Child Tax Credit 1040A line 35 1040 line 49
Additional Child Tax Credit 1040A line 43 1040 line 67
Child & Dependent Care Credit 1040A line 31 1040 line 49
Earned Income Credit 1040A line 42a 1040 line 66a
The children you listed as your dependents will appear on line 6c
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
