Why isn't my childs tax break showin up

[familygohn13]

look second year in a row ive had this issue with your website

[xmasbaby0]

Which tax break are you referring to?

[mesquitebean]

How old is the child?

[familygohn13]

I just got married last year is it because I'm trying to file separately should we jointly file our taxes?

[familygohn13]

Having a dependent

[mesquitebean]

In the vast majority of cases it's better to file married joint, but I'm not a tax person, so someone else will explain that part in this thread on why it's normally better, then you'll be able to better decide which approach to take.   Was the child born in 2016 or 2015?

[familygohn13]

2015

[familygohn13]

You have to file jointly your right thanks

[mesquitebean]

Keep watching the thread, and someone will hopefully explain both of those issues.   

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[familygohn13]

I figure it out thanks it's cause I wasn't filing jointly cause I'm married now

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

You have been mentioning that you need to compare filing separately to filing a joint return.

If you were married at the end of 2016 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will each receive the $4050 personal exemption, plus the married filing jointly standard deduction of $12,600 (add $1250 for each spouse over the age of 65).  You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit. 

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return. Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable.  In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit.  If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income.  If you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice.

[claudiahanson21]

My child tax break isn't showing up for 2019. It did for 2018 and nothing changed for 2019. Can someone shed some light as to what could have happened?

[mesquitebean]

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@claudiahanson21 wrote:

My child tax break isn't showing up for 2019. It did for 2018 and nothing changed for 2019. Can someone shed some light as to what could have happened?

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"nothing changed for 2019"

Well, actually something did change--the child is a year older.   Please provide more info including the child's age at the end of 2019, and someone familiar with dependent situations can further assist you here.

[claudiahanson21]

My son was born in 2018. In 2019 he turned 1 year old. He’s just a baby. 

[KarenM90]

I  suggest that you go back through the My Info Section of TurboTax as they related to your dependent(s) and answer the questions again for each dependent.

To do this:   Choose "Edit" next to your dependent's name, and go back through the questions and follow the prompts to ensure nothing has been missed.

Please note that The Child Tax Credit is a nonrefundable credit.  This means that if your credit exceeds your tax liability, your tax bill is reduced to zero and any remaining amount of credit could not be used.  

I am including two links regarding the Child Tax Credit.  Please take a look at these for more details and tips regarding this credit:  What is the Child Tax Credit?     Tips for the Child Tax Credit