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Thank you for the question.    The IRS has a tool here:  https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-f...   

 

In general there are three main requirements to claim the Child Tax Credit ("CTC"), which are:

 

  1. Income: You need to have more than $2,500 in earnings.
  2. Qualifying Child: Children claimed for the CTC must be a “qualifying child”. See below for details.
  3. Taxpayer Identification Number: You and your spouse need to have a Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

 

To be a qualifying child the child must have or be:

 

  • The child  has a Social Security number that is valid for employment in the United States
  • Be under age 17 at the end of the year
  • Be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, or a descendant of one of these (for example, a grandchild, niece or nephew)
  • Provide no more than half of their own financial support during the year
  • Have lived with you for more than half the year
  • Be properly claimed as your dependent on your tax return
  • Not file a joint return with their spouse for the tax year or file it only to claim a refund of withheld income tax or estimated tax paid
  • Have been a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. resident alien

You qualify for the full amount of the 2022 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).  

 

Parents and guardians with higher incomes may be eligible to claim a partial credit.  

 

Like other tax credits, the Child Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your tax.

 

If your available Child Tax Credit is greater than your tax liability, the Child Tax Credit can only reduce your tax bill to zero — you don’t get any unused portion of the credit back as a refund.

 

However, you may be able to claim the Additional Child Tax Credit, which allows you to receive up to $1,500 of the $2,000 Child Tax Credit per child as a refund.  This means you get a check for the remaining Child Tax Credit (up to $1,500 per child) after your tax bill is reduced to zero.

 

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