topic Why is my Child Tax Credit only $499? in Deductions & credits

Why is my Child Tax Credit only $499?

chanelsiers92 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:26:19 GMT

Shouldn't it be $2000 per child and I have 3 children so $6000?

Re: Why is my Child Tax Credit only $499?

xmasbaby0 — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 22:44:23 GMT

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

Re: Why is my Child Tax Credit only $499?

JamesG1 — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:21:16 GMT

Assuming that you meet all the requirements of the credit, the Child Tax Credit may have been limited. In 2022, the tax credit will be refundable only up to $1,500, depending on your income. You must have earned income of at least $2,500 to be eligible for the refund.

Are you able to view the tax return and see what credit was received and how the credit was calculated?

The Child Tax Credit is computed on Schedule 8812 Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents.

The Child Tax Credit is reported on line 19 of the Federal 1040 tax return. The Additional Child Tax Credit is reported on line 28 of the Federal 1040 tax return.

On your 2022 tax return, you can claim the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying dependent child on your return. You can get up to $2,000 for each child under age 17 if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than:

$400,000 if you're Married Filing Jointly or a Qualifying Surviving Spouse, or
$200,000 for all other filing statuses

If your AGI is higher than that, the amount of Child Tax Credit you're eligible for is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 your modified AGI is above the income threshold. For example, if you're Married Filing Jointly making $401,000, you’re eligible for a total credit of $1,950.

To qualify, your child must meet all these requirements:

Be under age 17 at the end of the tax year
Is your child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, sibling, step sibling, half sibling, or a descendant of any of them (for example, a grandchild, niece, or nephew)
Has their own Social Security Number
- Children with ITINs don't qualify, but may instead be eligible for the $500 Credit for Other Dependents
Lived with you for more than half the year
Did not support themselves (did not pay more than half their own expenses)
Is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. resident alien
- Residents of Canada or Mexico do not qualify

If your child is older than 16 at the end of 2022, you do not qualify for the Child Tax Credit. But you may qualify for the non-refundable $500 credit for other dependents instead.

What is the Child Tax Credit?

@chanelsiers92