Why is my 2025 Child Tax Credit smaller than last year?
Because of pandemic-related legislation, the Child Tax Credit for 2021 was:
fully refundable
worth more ($3,600 for children ages 5 and under and $3,000 for ages 6–17)
available to taxpayers without earned income
The Child Tax Credit for 2022, 2023, and 2024 are:
non-refundable
$2,000 a year per child
only available to taxpayers with at least $2,500 in earned income
only available up to the limit of your tax liability shown on the return
Your 2025 Child Tax Credit might be less than your 2024 credit due to:
One or more children celebrated their 17th birthday in 2025
One or more children lived with you for less than half the year in 2025 but lived with you for half the year (or more) in 2024
One or more children paid more than half of their own expenses in 2025, but didn't in 2024
Your 2025 AGI increased to $400,000 or more (joint filers and surviving spouses) or $200,000 or more (single, Head of Household, or separate filers)
See the qualifications for the Child Tax Credit and the Credit for Other Dependents. For the latest news about the Child Tax Credit, check out the TurboTax blog.
