topic Why am i only getting $296 back for my child? I’m a single mom with a single income in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Why am i only getting $296 back for my child? I’m a single mom with a single income

marissaherremans — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:44:46 GMT

he’s 5 months old

Re: Why am i only getting $296 back for my child? I’m a single mom with a single income

DanaB27 — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:51:57 GMT

Please verify that you have selected that your child lived with your all year. A child born in 2022 is considered to have lived with you all year.

Login to your TurboTax Account
Click "My Info" from the left side of your screen
Click “Edit” next to your child's name
On the "Tell us more about child's living situation last year" screen select "Yes" to "Did Child live with you for the whole year?"

Please be aware, we cannot see the details of your return and there are many factors that can influence your refund.

Please see What is the Child Tax Credit? and What are the qualifications for the Earned Income Credit? for additional information.

Re: Why am i only getting $296 back for my child? I’m a single mom with a single income

hbl3973 — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:52:03 GMT

marissaherrmans,

Unfortunately, or actually fortunately, we do not have access to your tax return and so cannot see what you entered and where you might have mistyped or overlooked something. If, going back through your entries you do not see anything wrong, then perhaps:

While you are using the Free version of TurboTax, may I suggest you look up the free IRS VITA service locations in your area and/or the free AARP Tax-Aide service locations where you can go in person and have trained, certified tax volunteers prepare your returns and work directly with you to try to ensure your return is accurate and lets you claim all the benefits to which your situation entitles you. The VITA income limit is $60,000 this year. AARP is more flexible and you do not have to be a senior citizen to use that service, but you do have to make an appointment and those slots do fill up quickly. Many VITA sites take walk-ins, first come first serve. Right now they are not yet swamped. Just a suggestion.

Re: Why am i only getting $296 back for my child? I’m a single mom with a single income

xmasbaby0 — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:52:20 GMT

The tax laws changed for child-related credits and are much less generous for 2022.

Make sure you have entered your child as a dependent in My Info, and that you have entered the child's Social Security number. Careful— do not say that your child’s SSN is not valid for employment. If your child was born in 2022 make sure you said he lived with you the whole year. There is an oddly worded question that asks if the child paid over half their own support. Say NO to that question.

Have you entered income from working in 2022? If not, 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 per child; 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 per child. 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

Look at your 2022 Form 1040 to see the child-related credits you received

PREVIEW 1040

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901539-how-do-i-preview-my-turbotax-online-return-before-filing

Child Tax Credit line 19

Credit for Other Dependents line 19

Earned Income Credit line 27

Additional Child Tax Credit line 28