Child Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit Q&As
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If you have one or more children under age 17 living with you during the calendar year, you may qualify for the Child Tax Credit.
You may also be able to take the Additional Child Tax Credit if you meet the qualifications.
What is the Child Tax Credit?
The Child Tax Credit is a nonrefundable tax credit for each qualifying child you claim on your return, worth up to $1,000 per qualifying child. The credit is limited to the amount of tax on your return. You cannot receive any excess credit as a refund.
What is the Additional Child Tax Credit?
If you cannot take the full Child Tax Credit because you owe less income tax than the amount of the credit, you may be able to claim the Additional Child Tax Credit.
This credit is refundable, which means you can take this credit even if you owe little or no income tax. To qualify for this credit, you must have more than $3,000 in earned income.
The Additional Child Tax Credit is based in part on the Child Tax Credit. If you do not qualify for the Child Tax Credit, you cannot take the Additional Child Tax Credit.
What are the qualifications for each child?
A person must meet both of these tests to qualify as your child for the Child Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit:
- The child must be under age 17 at the end of the calendar year, and
- You must claim the child as a dependent on your return.
You can use TaxAct's Dependent Quiz to help you determine if someone qualifies as your dependent.
Is this credit limited at higher income levels?
Your credit begins to phase out when your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 ($110,000 if filing jointly, or $55,000 if you are married and filing separately).
The credit phases out by $50 for each $1,000 or part of $1,000 that your modified adjusted gross income exceeds these amounts.
Your modified adjusted gross income for this purpose is your adjusted gross income on Form 1040, plus certain foreign income.
What information do I need to claim this credit on my tax return?
When you enter your dependent children and other information in TaxAct, the program calculates any Child Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit for which you are eligible.
What tax form do I use to claim this credit?
TaxAct calculates the Child Tax Credit on the Child Tax Credit Worksheet. TaxAct calculates the Additional Child Tax Credit on Schedule 8812.
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Upcoming Tax Dates
January 1 — Everyone
Federal Holiday (New Year's Day)
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January 10 — Employees who work for tips
If you received $20 or more in tips during December, report them to your employer
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January 15 — Individuals
Make a payment of your estimated tax for 2018 if you did not pay your income tax for the year through withholding (or did not pay in enough tax that way). Use Form 1040-ES
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January 15 — Social security, Medicare, and withheld income tax
If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in December 2018
January 15 — Farmers & fishermen
Pay your estimated tax for 2018 using Form 1040-ES
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January 21 — Everyone
Federal Holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
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January 31 — All Employers
Give your employees their copies of Form W2 for 2018. If an employee agreed to receive Form W2 electronically, have it posted on a website and notify the employee of the posting.
January 31 — Individuals who must make estimated tax payments
If you did not pay your last installment of estimated tax by January 15, you may choose (but are not required) to file your income tax return (Form 1040) for 2017 by January 31. Filing your return and paying any tax due by January 31 prevents any penalty for late payment of the last installment. If you cannot file and pay your tax by January 31, file and pay your tax by April 15.
January 31 — Payers of gambling winnings
If you either paid reportable gambling winnings or withheld income tax from gambling winnings, give the winners their copies of Form W2G.
January 31 — Social Security, Medicare, and withheld income tax
File Form 941 for the fourth quarter of 2018. Deposit or pay any undeposited tax under the accuracy of deposit rules. If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return. If you deposited the tax for the quarter timely, properly, and in full, you have until 02-10 to file the return.
January 31 — Certain small employers
File Form 944 to report social security and Medicare taxes and withheld income tax for 2018. Deposit or pay any undeposited tax under the accuracy of deposit rules. If your tax liability is $2,500 or more for 2018 but less than $2,500 for the fourth quarter, deposit any undeposited tax or pay it in full with a timely filed return. If you deposited the tax for the year timely, properly, and in full, you have until February 10 to file the return.
January 31 — Farm employers
File Form 943 to report social security and Medicare taxes and withheld income tax for 2018. Deposit or pay any undeposited tax under the accuracy of deposit rules. If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return. If you deposited the tax for the year timely, properly, and in full, you have until February 10 to file the return.
January 31 — Federal unemployment tax
File Form 940 for 2018. If your undeposited tax is $500 or less, you can either pay it with your return or deposit it. If it is more than $500, you must deposit it. However, if you deposited the tax for the year timely, properly, and in full, you have until February 10 to file the return.
January 31 — All businesses
Give annual information statements to recipients of certain payments you made during 2018
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