to further clarify,
if you did not work, then it would take unearned income that exceeds the standard deduction to be eligible for CTC. Let's say you file Head of Household. The 2024 standard deduction was $21,900. So to be eligible for CTC, you would need more than $21,900 of unearned income to be eligible for the first dollar of CTC.
if you did work, then it would take more than $2500 of earned income to be eligible for the first dollar of CTC (and technically, it would be the refundable aCTC).
