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 $2000 per child, but if you do not owe tax then you may not get the full amount of CTC. 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 the tax you owe.
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 2018 tax return to see the child-related /dependent credits you received:
Child tax credit line 12a
Credit for Other Dependents line 12a
Earned Income Credit (EIC) line 17a
Child and Dependent Care Credit line 12 (comes from Schedule 3 Form 2441)
**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.**
