child tax credit

[user17525286356]

• So my wife and I are married and I am the only one that works. I was doing some calculations on the free tax calculator and for some reason it’s not giving me a child tax credit? Why is that? Is it because my wife isn’t working. I make around 55k a year. 

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

There are 2 different Child Credits.   You can get the Child Tax Credit but not the Child Care Credit.   You both need to have earned income to get the Child Care Credit.  

Info on the Child Care Credit……
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/credits-and-deductions/help/what-is-the-child-and-dependent-care-c...

[NCperson]

@user17525286356 

the CHILD TAX CREDIT should be $2,000

the CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE TAX CREDIT should be zero  - it's zero because your spouse does not work. 

[Hal_Al]

The child tax credit  (CTC) is limited to your tax liability. The CTC is a non-refundable credit and can only reduce your income tax to 0, It can not help you beyond eliminating your tax liability. But, if you have more than $2500 of earned income, some or all of it is usually given back to you thru the "Additional Child tax credit". That is, part of the CTC may be on line 28 of form 1040 (2021- 2024) instead of line 19. The  ACTC is calculated on form 8812 and  is basically 15% of your earned income over $2500. The ACTC is a maximum of $1700 (2024) ($1600 for 2023, $1500 for 2022) per child, not $2000.