The 2024 Child Tax Credit is up to $2,000 per child under 17
The Child Tax Credit for 2024 is a maximum of $2,000 for each child under age 17 at the end of the tax year. The amount you actually receive depends on your household income, how many children you claim, and whether you received advance payments during 2024. The credit reduces the federal income tax you owe, and any leftover amount may be refunded to you as a payment.
This is the same amount as 2023. Congress has not changed the $2,000-per-child limit since 2017, though the income thresholds and refund rules have shifted over time. The credit phases out — meaning it gets smaller — once your income exceeds a certain level, which varies based on your filing status.
Key Takeaways
- The maximum credit is $2,000 per child under 17, but the amount you receive shrinks by $50 for every $1,000 of income above the phase-out threshold.
- Phase-out thresholds are $400,000 for married couples filing jointly and $200,000 for single filers and heads of household in 2024.
- If you received advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2024, the total of those payments plus any remaining credit cannot exceed $2,000 per child.
- You must have a valid Social Security number for each child you claim, and the child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien.
- When you file your 2024 tax return in 2025, you will reconcile any advance payments against the full credit you are may have access to to.
Income limits and how the credit phases out
The credit begins to shrink once your income crosses a threshold. For 2024, those thresholds are $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, $200,000 for single filers, and $200,000 for heads of household. For each $1,000 of income above the threshold (or fraction thereof), the credit reduces by $50 per child.
Example: A single parent with one child and $210,000 in income would be $10,000 over the $200,000 threshold. That triggers a $500 reduction ($50 × 10), bringing the credit from $2,000 down to $1,500 for that child. If you have two children, the same $10,000 overage would reduce the total credit by $1,000 (to $3,000 instead of $4,000).
Your income for this calculation is your modified adjusted gross income, which is usually your adjusted gross income (AGI) from your tax return. If your income is below the threshold for your filing status, you get the full $2,000 per child (before any other reductions).
Advance payments you may have received in 2024
Some families received advance Child Tax Credit payments during 2024 — monthly or periodic payments sent by the IRS before the tax year ended. These advance payments were based on your 2023 tax return or an update you provided to the IRS. The total amount you received in advance counts toward your $2,000-per-child limit.
When you file your 2024 tax return in early 2025, you will report how much you received in advance. The IRS will then calculate how much additional credit (if any) you are owed. If you received more in advance than you are may have access to to based on your actual 2024 income and household, you may owe back some or all of the overpayment, though some families are protected from repaying large amounts depending on their income.
If you did not receive advance payments, or received only partial payments, the full credit calculation happens when you file your return. You will receive any remaining credit as a refund or as a reduction in the tax you owe.
Who can claim the credit and what you need
To claim the Child Tax Credit, the child must be under age 17 at the end of 2024, claimed as a dependent on your return, and related to you as a son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or descendant of any of these. The child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien, and you must provide their valid Social Security number on your return.
You must also have earned income during the year (with limited exceptions for certain military families). Your filing status matters: married couples filing jointly, single filers, and heads of household all use the same $2,000 maximum but different income thresholds. Married couples filing separately cannot claim the credit.
If a child has no Social Security number or has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead, you cannot claim the Child Tax Credit for that child, though you may be able to claim other credits or deductions.
Refundable and non-refundable portions
Part of the Child Tax Credit is refundable, meaning you can receive it as a payment even if you owe no federal income tax. The refundable portion is called the Additional Child Tax Credit, and for 2024 it is limited to $1,700 per child. The remaining $300 per child is non-refundable, so it can only reduce the tax you owe.
This matters if your tax liability is low or zero. A family with no tax liability can still receive up to $1,700 per child as a refund. If your credit is $2,000 per child but you owe only $1,200 in tax, the $1,200 pays down your tax, and you receive $800 as a refund (assuming the full $2,000 is not reduced by income phase-out or other factors).
How to report the credit on your tax return
When you file your 2024 tax return, you will report the Child Tax Credit on Form 1040 (the main individual income tax form). You will list each child's name and Social Security number, and the IRS will calculate the credit based on your income and filing status. If you received advance payments, you will also report that amount on Schedule 8812 or directly on the return, depending on the form version.
Most people file using tax software, which walks you through the questions and calculates the credit automatically. If you file by hand or with a tax professional, make sure you have each child's Social Security number, birth date, and relationship to you. The IRS matches Social Security numbers to verify the child exists and is not claimed by more than one person.
What happens if you received too much in advance payments
If your 2024 income was lower than expected when you received advance payments, you may have been sent more than you are may have access to to. When you file your return, the IRS will calculate the overpayment. Depending on your income, you may have to repay some or all of it, or the IRS may reduce your refund by that amount.
However, there are limits on how much you must repay. For 2024, if your modified adjusted gross income is below $400,000 (married filing jointly) or $200,000 (single or head of household), you may be protected from repaying the full overpayment. The exact protection depends on your income level and the number of children. These repayment limits are designed to prevent low-income families from owing large amounts back to the IRS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim the credit if my child was born in December 2024?
Yes. The child must be under age 17 at the end of 2024, so a newborn in December qualifies. You will claim the full $2,000 credit (before any phase-out) for that child on your 2024 return, even though the child was only born a few days before the year ended.
What if I share custody of a child with another parent?
Only one parent can claim the Child Tax Credit for each child. Usually this is the parent with primary custody, but you and the other parent can agree to let the other parent claim the credit. The IRS will reject the return if both parents try to claim the same child. You need to decide in advance who will claim each child.
Do I lose the credit if my income is slightly over the threshold?
No, you do not lose it entirely. The credit phases out gradually — it shrinks by $50 for every $1,000 of income over the threshold. So if you are $1,000 over, you lose $50 per child. You keep most of the credit unless your income is significantly higher than the threshold.
What if I did not file a tax return in prior years?
You can still claim the 2024 Child Tax Credit when you file your 2024 return. If you did not receive advance payments because you did not file or update your information with the IRS, you will receive the full credit (up to $2,000 per child, reduced by income phase-out) when you file in 2025.
Can I claim the credit for a foster child or grandchild?
Yes, if the child meets the relationship test. A foster child placed with you by an authorized agency counts. A grandchild, niece, or nephew counts if they are your dependent and live with you for the entire year. You must provide their Social Security number and they must be under 17 at the end of 2024.