The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied. Why?

sixft — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:42:26 GMT

Re: The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied. Why?

DoninGA — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:47:12 GMT

Have you entered any earned income from work? For tax year 2022 you must have at least $2,500 from work to be eligible for the Child Tax Credit.

Re: The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied....

HelenC12 — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:53:55 GMT

This is a tax advise forum so I can't see your tax return to tell you why you don't qualify for the Child Tax Credit but please see the information below.

The Child Tax Credit is a tax credit you can claim 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 of 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
Didn't support themselves (didn't 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 don't qualify

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.

Related Information:

What is the Additional Child Tax Credit?

topic The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied. Why? in Deductions & credits

The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied. Why?

Re: The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied. Why?

Re: The TurboTax chatbot said I qualify for the child tax credit, but when I try, it says denied....