Why isn't the $2,000 child tax credit showing up?

[deedee211]

I have just re-done my taxes because I am confused. Normally when I receive the child tax credit, it will go to the federal refund portion at the upper left hand corner. This year, it is saying I qualify and are receving the 2,000 credit but my total refund is only a few hundred. My income has increased but not $150,000 I cant qualify increase.  Nothing I am reading can explain. Can someone please help me understand what I am missing or will the credit show at the end?

[SweetieJean]

The CTC is non-refundable, so cannot give you any money if your taxes have already been lowered to zero.

[BillM223]

Are you referring to numbers of screens inside the TurboTax interview? It would be better if we could talk about the lines on the IRS tax forms, because this is where the true taxable amounts are found (TurboTax sometimes shows amounts that are not part of you tax return, just to show that you entered them).

The Child Tax Credit appears on line 19 of form 1040. Note that it is applied against the tax due on line 18.

It often happens that there is not enough tax assessed to use up the entire Child Tax Credit. In this case, on form 8812, the Additional Child Tax Credit is invoked to be applied to your refund.

So please tell us what appears on lines 18, 19, and 28 on your 1040.