I want to know why I did not get child credit for my daughter. She is 17 but she is in high school. I know people who are still claiming there children that are in colleg

[mitchellmarissa]

I want to know why I did not get child credit for my daughter. She is 17 but she is in high school. I know people who are still claiming there children that are in college

[rainydaze]

The Child Tax Credit does not affect your ability to claim your daughter on your tax return and you will continue to receive her exemption.  However, the law itself around the Child Tax Credit is only for children under 17.  The people who are claiming their college aged children are NOT receiving the Child Tax Credit.  The CTC and the dependent exemption are two separate things.  

Here is a link to the IRS Pub 17 section on the CTC: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch34.html. It states: 

Qualifying Child

A qualifying child for purposes of the child tax credit is a child who:

1. Is your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild, niece, or nephew),

2. Was under age 17 at the end of 2016,

3. Did not provide over half of his or her own support for 2016,

4. Lived with you for more than half of 2016 (see Exceptions to time lived with you , later),

5. Is claimed as a dependent on your return,

6. Does not file a joint return for the year (or files it only to claim a refund of withheld income tax or estimated tax paid), and

7. Was a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or a resident of the United States. If the child was adopted, see Adopted child , later.