Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?

sidneymack — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:45:08 GMT

So I tried to see how much I’d get this year just from claiming my kids but it said I’m not getting a refund at all and I’m pretty upset cause I’m a single mom and I needed that money.

Re: Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?

xmasbaby0 — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:59:45 GMT

The short answer is that if you did not work in 2022, you will not receive an income tax refund based on having dependent children.

The rules for getting the child tax credit on a 2021 tax return and now on a 2022 return are very different. For 2021 you could get $3600 for a child under 6 or $3000 for a child between 6 and 17 even if you had no income/did not work. That is NOT the way it will work for your 2022 tax return. The “old” rules are back. The maximum amount of the child tax credit is now $2000; the refundable “additional child tax credit” amount is $1500. In order to get that credit, you have to have income from working. The credit is calculated based on the amount you earned above $2500 multiplied by 15%, up to the full $1500. If your child is older than 16 at the end of 2022, you do not get the CTC. But you may still get the non-refundable $500 credit for other dependents instead.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900923-what-is-the-child-tax-credit

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-for-other-dependents

And for the Earned Income Credit—-the rules are back to the “old” rules—

Those under 25 and over 65 without children are not eligible as they were uniquely in 2021. And you cannot use your income from any earlier tax year to get the EIC for a 2022 return. There is no “lookback” for 2022. EIC for 2022 will be based on the income you earned by working in 2022.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899157-what-are-the-qualifications-for-the-earned-income-credit-eic-or-eitc

https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit/use-the-eitc-assistant

AND….If you have children but had no income, it raises the question of how you and the children were supported. There may be another tax-paying adult who can claim you and/or the children as dependents.

Re: Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?

DoninGA — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 16:00:35 GMT

For tax year 2022 you must have at least $2,500 of earned income to be eligible for the Child Tax Credit.

If you received no earned income in 2022 then you do not need to file a 2022 tax return, with or without dependents.

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Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?

Re: Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?

Re: Can you claim your dependents this year even if you had no income?