Your situation is not clear.
If you are entering your child on your return in order to get just HOH filing status, EIC and childcare credit, you must say in MY INFO that there is an agreement between you and the other parent.
Are you the custodial parent? Do you have an agreement with the other parent to allow the other parent to claim them--due to divorce or that you live apart and share custody? Did one of you sign a Form 8332?
If there is a signed 8332 then the custodial parent retains the right to file as Head of Household, get earned income credit and the childcare credit. The non-custodial parent gets the child tax credit for children under the age of 17.
As far as the IRS is concerned, the custodial parent is the one with whom the child spent the most nights during the tax year--at least 183 nights.
I am the custodial parent. Have 2 children and filed head of household last year. In my divorce decree it states that my ex husband is allowed to claim my oldest son, and I get to claim my youngest.
My children live with me 100% of the time and he has not been involved in their lives since 2023. I have not signed a 8332, but according to the divorce decree he is allowed to claim my oldest.
Last year when I filed, I did not even list me oldest on the return because I did not know that I could designate him as a nondependent. I answered the questions truthfully when it states did the child live with you more than half the time. I also answered yes that another parent was claiming him, and that we have an agreement about this situation. I was just surprised to see such an increase in my refund