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

The Child Tax Credit for 2024 is $2,000 for each child you claim who is under age 17 at the end of the tax year. You report it on your 2024 tax return, which you file in early 2025. The credit reduces the federal income tax you owe dollar-for-dollar — if you owe $3,000 in tax and you have one may have access to child, 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 amount has been in place since 2017 and is the current law for 2024.

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 or head of household) to claim the full amount.
  • If you owe less tax than the credit amount, you may receive the difference as a refund, but only up to $1,700 per child in 2024.
  • You need the child's Social Security number, proof they lived with you for more than half the year, and proof of your relationship to them.
  • The child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien with a valid Social Security number.

Income limits and how the credit phases out

The full $2,000 credit is available if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is below $400,000 (if you file as married filing jointly) or $200,000 (if you file as single, head of household, or married filing separately). MAGI is usually your adjusted gross income from your tax return — your wages, self-employment income, investment income, and other earnings minus certain deductions.

If your income exceeds those thresholds, the credit reduces by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction of $1,000) over the limit. For example, if you file single with income of $201,000, you are $1,000 over the $200,000 threshold. The credit reduces by $50, so you would receive $1,950 instead of $2,000. If your income is $201,500, the credit reduces by $100.

The phase-out continues until the credit reaches zero. At very high incomes, you receive no credit at all.

Refundable vs. non-refundable: what you actually receive

Part of the Child Tax Credit is refundable, meaning you can receive it even if you owe no federal income tax. In 2024, up to $1,700 per child is refundable. The remaining $300 per child is non-refundable, so you can only use it to reduce tax you actually owe.

Here is how it works in practice: if you have one child and you owe $500 in federal tax, the $2,000 credit first wipes out the $500 you owe. You then have $1,500 of the credit left. Because $1,700 of the credit is refundable, you receive the remaining $1,500 as a refund. If you have two children, the math is the same but applied to $4,000 total: you can receive up to $3,400 as a refund if you owe no tax.

The refundable portion is sometimes called the Additional Child Tax Credit or ACTC. You claim it on Form 1040 Schedule 8812 when you file your return.

Who can claim a child for the credit

The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or descendant of any of those (such as a niece or nephew). The child must have lived with you for more than half of 2024 — temporary absences for school, medical care, military service, or vacation count as time living with you. The child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien, and must have a valid Social Security number.

The child must be under age 17 at the end of 2024. A child who turns 17 on December 31, 2024 does not may have access to; a child who turns 17 on January 1, 2025 does may have access to for 2024.

You must also be the child's parent, stepparent, or legal guardian, or in some cases a relative who has lived with the child for the entire year. If more than one person could claim the child, the IRS has tiebreaker rules based on who the child lived with longest, who provided the most support, and other factors. Only one person can claim the credit for each child in a given year.

Documents you need to claim the credit

You do not submit documents with your tax return, but you must have them on hand in case the IRS asks. Keep the child's Social Security number, birth certificate or other proof of age, and documentation showing the child lived with you — such as school records, medical records, lease or mortgage documents, or utility bills in your name at your address.

If the child is not your biological child, keep adoption papers, guardianship documents, or court orders establishing your relationship. If you are divorced or separated and share custody, keep the custody order or agreement showing who claims the child for tax purposes that year.

The IRS may request these documents months or even years after you file. Keeping them organized and accessible makes the process faster if verification is needed.

How to claim the credit on your 2024 tax return

You claim the Child Tax Credit on Form 1040, the main federal income tax return form. You list each may have access to child's name and Social Security number on the form. If you are also claiming the refundable portion (Additional Child Tax Credit), you complete Form 1040 Schedule 8812 and attach it to your return.

If you use tax software, the software walks you through questions about each child and calculates the credit automatically. If you file by paper, you fill in the child information on Form 1040 and do the math yourself, or ask a tax preparer to do it.

You file your return by April 15, 2025 (or the next business day if April 15 falls on a weekend). If you need more time, you can request an extension, but the extension only delays filing — you still owe any tax due by April 15.

What changed from 2023 to 2024

The credit amount and income limits stayed the same from 2023 to 2024 — still $2,000 per child and the same phase-out thresholds. The refundable portion increased slightly: in 2024 it is $1,700 per child, compared to $1,600 in 2023. This change is tied to inflation adjustments the IRS makes each year.

The rules for who qualifies and how to claim the credit did not change. If you claimed the credit in 2023, the process for 2024 is the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. The child must have a valid Social Security number to be claimed for the credit. If your child was born in 2024 and does not yet have a number, you can request one from the Social Security Administration. You cannot claim the credit until the number is issued and you have it.

What if I claimed the child in 2023 but not 2024 — can I go back and amend?

Yes. You can file an amended 2023 return (Form 1040-X) to claim the credit if you did not claim it originally, or to claim it for a different child if circumstances changed. You have three years from the original due date to amend. A tax preparer or the IRS can help you determine whether amending makes sense for your situation.

Do I lose the credit if my income goes up during the year?

The credit is based on your income for the entire year, reported on your 2024 tax return. If your income rises mid-year, you use your final 2024 income to determine the credit amount when you file in 2025. You do not adjust the credit during the year.

Can I claim the credit if the child's other parent claims them?

No. Only one person can claim the credit for each child in a given year. If you and the child's other parent share custody, your custody agreement or court order usually specifies who claims the child for tax purposes. If there is no agreement, the IRS tiebreaker rules determine who can claim it.