Need advice

[Teddersmom625]

So I live in MN and need some tax advice. On my 2024 return, I filed HOH and was employed. I opted for the advance child tax credit payments that MN will be sending out at the end of 2025. As of February of this year, things changed and I am now a stay at home mom and will only have about $1,000 of income to report for the year of 2025. In 2024, I claimed 2 of our children and he claimed the other 2. My partner and I will be getting married in August, so we will be filing together for 2025.  His income will put us above the limit for the child tax credits. My question is, do I need to put my advanced child tax credit aside because I will need to repay that at tax time next year? Would I be better off filing married but separate and just reporting my tiny income amount to still receive the child tax credit. Should I call and cancel my advanced payments before the April deadline to do so? I just don’t want to get into a bind come tax time next year. 

[Vanessa A]

If you will not be eligible for the credit, and you can call and cancel the credit, that would be the best thing to do.

You cannot claim the MN Child Tax Credit if  your filing status is married filing separately and you live with your spouse.

Also, did both of you claim HOH?  If so, in order to claim HOH, you must pay MORE than half of the cost of maintaining a home for you and your dependents.  IF you are sharing children and living together, it is not likely that BOTH of you paid MORE than half of the cost of maintaining the home.  If you both claimed head of household and did NOT BOTH pay MORE than one  half of the cost of maintaining a home, one of you may need to amend your previous years return.