The 2024 Child Tax Credit is $2,000 per child under age 17

The Child Tax Credit for 2024 is $2,000 for each child under 17 years old at the end of the tax year. You claim it on your federal tax return when you file. The credit reduces the federal income tax you owe dollar-for-dollar — if you owe $3,000 in tax and you have two may have access to children, the credit brings what you owe down to $1,000.

The credit is not the same as the expanded payments some families received in 2021. Those were temporary. The $2,000 per child amount has been the standard since 2018 and remains in place for 2024.

You must have a valid Social Security number for each child you claim, and the child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or descendant of any of those. The child must live with you for more than half the year and be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien.

Key Takeaways

  • The credit is $2,000 per child under 17, claimed on your 2024 tax return filed in 2025.
  • Your income must be below $400,000 (married filing jointly) or $200,000 (single) to claim the full amount; the credit phases out above those thresholds.
  • Each child must have a valid Social Security number and live with you for more than half the year.
  • If the credit is larger than the tax you owe, you may receive part of it as a refund, up to $1,700 per child in 2024.

Income limits and how the credit shrinks above them

The full $2,000 credit is available if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is $400,000 or less for married couples filing jointly, or $200,000 or less for single filers, heads of household, and married filing separately. Your MAGI is usually the same as your adjusted gross income shown on your tax return.

Above those thresholds, the credit reduces by $50 for every $1,000 (or fraction of $1,000) of income over the limit. If you are married filing jointly with MAGI of $410,000, you are $10,000 over the limit. That means the credit drops by $500 (10 × $50), leaving you with $1,500 per child instead of $2,000.

The phase-out applies to each child separately. If you have three children and your income is $5,000 over the limit, each child's credit reduces by $250, so you receive $1,750 per child instead of $2,000.

Refundable portion: when you get money back

The Child Tax Credit is partially refundable, meaning you can receive part of it even if you owe no federal income tax. In 2024, up to $1,700 per child can be refunded to you. The refundable portion is called the Additional Child Tax Credit or ACTC.

To receive the refundable portion, you must have earned income during the year — wages, self-employment income, or certain other forms of work-related earnings. If you had no earned income, you can claim only the non-refundable portion, which reduces your tax bill but does not result in a refund if your tax is already zero.

The refundable amount is calculated based on 15 percent of your earned income above $2,500. If you earned $20,000 and owe $800 in tax, the ACTC would be 15 percent of $17,500 ($20,000 minus $2,500), which is $2,625. But the cap is $1,700 per child, so you would receive $1,700 as a refund (after the $800 credit reduces your tax to zero).

How to claim the credit on your tax return

You claim the Child Tax Credit by filing Form 1040 (the main federal income tax form) and including Schedule 8812 if you are claiming the refundable portion. You will need the child's full name, date of birth, and Social Security number for each child you claim.

If you file through a tax preparer or software, the program will ask you to enter each child's information and will calculate the credit automatically. The credit appears on your return as a reduction in the tax you owe or as part of your refund.

You can only claim the credit for one taxpayer per child. If you and another parent both file returns, you must decide who claims each child. Usually the parent with primary custody claims the child, but you can agree otherwise. The IRS will reject the return if the same child is claimed by more than one person.

What changed from 2023 to 2024

The credit amount stayed at $2,000 per child. The income thresholds ($400,000 married, $200,000 single) remained the same. The refundable portion stayed at $1,700 per child.

The main year-to-year changes are usually in the earned income threshold for the refundable portion (which can shift slightly for inflation) and in IRS procedures for verifying Social Security numbers. For 2024, the earned income floor for calculating the refundable portion is $2,500, the same as 2023.

If you received advance payments of the credit in prior years (which ended in 2021), those payments do not affect your 2024 claim. Each year's credit is separate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim the credit for a child who does not have a Social Security number?

No. Each child must have a valid Social Security number issued by the Social Security Administration. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) does not may have access to. If your child was born in 2024, you can still claim the credit on your 2024 return if you have applied for the Social Security number and can provide the application number.

What if my income is above the phase-out limit?

The credit reduces by $50 for every $1,000 over the threshold. At very high incomes, the credit may reduce to zero. For example, if you are married filing jointly with income of $440,000, you are $40,000 over the $400,000 limit, so the credit reduces by $2,000 per child, eliminating it entirely.

Do I have to file a tax return to claim the credit?

Yes. You must file a federal income tax return to claim the Child Tax Credit, even if your income is below the filing requirement. If you have earned income and want the refundable portion, filing is the only way to receive it.

Can I claim the credit for a stepchild or foster child?

Yes, if the child lived with you for more than half the year and you provided more than half their financial support. A stepchild must be your spouse's child. A foster child must be placed with you by an authorized agency or court order. You will need the child's Social Security number and birth date.

What if I claimed the wrong child or the wrong number of children last year?

You can file an amended return using Form 1040-X for any year within three years of the original filing date. If you owe additional tax, you will receive a bill. If you overstated the credit and are owed a refund, the IRS will send it after processing the amended return.