topic My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents. in Retirement tax questions

My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents.

bdboggs9546 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:09:03 GMT

We didn't work but we both received social security only for 2022.

Re: My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents.

xmasbaby0 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:17:37 GMT

You did not qualify for CTC because you did not have income from working.

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

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

Re: My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents.

DoninGA — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:17:49 GMT

For tax year 2022 you must have at least $2,500 of earned income from work to be eligible for the Child Tax Credit. Social Security benefits are not earned income.

Re: My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents.

bdboggs9546 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:30:20 GMT

Thank you for answering back. This answer was very helpful.

Re: My wife and I filed social security and wanted to know why we don't qualify for a refund with two qualifying dependents.

bdboggs9546 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:31:08 GMT

Thank you for your answer, it was very helpful.