The 2024 Child Tax Credit is up to $2,000 per child

The federal Child Tax Credit for 2024 is $2,000 for each may have access to child under age 17. This is the same amount as 2023. 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 begins to phase out (shrink) if your income exceeds certain thresholds. For 2024, the phase-out starts at $400,000 for married couples filing jointly and $200,000 for single filers. For every $1,000 of income above those thresholds, the credit reduces by $50.

You claim the Child Tax Credit on your federal tax return using Form 1040 and Schedule 8812. The IRS matches the children you list to Social Security numbers you provide, so you will need each child's SSN to claim them.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2024 Child Tax Credit is $2,000 per may have access to child under age 17, and it reduces your federal tax bill directly.
  • The credit phases out starting at $400,000 of income for married couples filing jointly and $200,000 for single filers.
  • You must have a valid Social Security number for each child you claim, and the IRS verifies the match when you file.
  • If the credit is larger than the tax you owe, you may receive the difference as a refund, but this depends on your income and filing status.

Income limits and how the phase-out works

The Child Tax Credit does not disappear entirely when you exceed the income threshold — it shrinks gradually. The reduction is $50 for every $1,000 (or fraction of $1,000) of income above the threshold. If you are married filing jointly and earn $410,000, you are $10,000 over the $400,000 threshold, so your credit reduces by $500 (10 × $50). With one child, your $2,000 credit becomes $1,500.

The income thresholds are the same whether you have one child or five. What changes is how much total credit you lose — the $50 reduction applies to your entire credit amount, not per child. If you have two children and exceed the threshold by $1,000, you lose $50 from your total $4,000 credit, leaving you $3,950.

Your filing status determines which threshold applies to you. Married couples filing jointly use $400,000. Single filers, heads of household, and married filing separately each have different thresholds — single and head of household filers use $200,000, and married filing separately filers use $200,000 as well.

Who counts as a may have access to child

A may have access to child for the 2024 credit must be under age 17 at the end of the tax year (December 31, 2024). The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or a descendant of any of these — the IRS calls this a "may have access to relationship." The child must also have lived with you for more than half of 2024 (except for temporary absences like school or medical care).

The child must be a U.S. citizen, national, or resident alien with a valid Social Security number. You must claim the child as a dependent on your tax return. If another person (like a grandparent or ex-spouse) claims the child as a dependent, you cannot claim the credit for that child, even if you paid for their support.

Adopted children count as may have access to children once the adoption is final. Foster children placed with you by an authorized agency also count. Children who are age 17 or older on December 31, 2024 do not may have access to, even if they turned 17 during the year.

Refundable vs. non-refundable portions of the credit

Part of the Child Tax Credit is refundable, meaning you can receive money back even if you owe no federal tax. Up to $1,700 per child (for 2024) is refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit. The remaining $300 per child is non-refundable — it can only reduce the tax you owe, not create a refund.

Whether you receive the full refundable amount depends on your earned income. You must have at least $2,500 in earned income (wages, self-employment income) to claim any refundable portion. The refundable credit is calculated on Schedule 8812, and the IRS includes it in your refund if you are due one.

If your income is very low, you may not be able to use the full $2,000 credit because you do not owe enough tax. The refundable portion helps offset this, but it is still limited by your earned income. A tax professional or the IRS Free File program can help you calculate exactly how much credit you will receive based on your specific situation.

How to claim the credit on your 2024 tax return

You report the Child Tax Credit on your federal Form 1040 (the main tax return form) along with Schedule 8812 (Credits for may have access to Children and Other Dependents). You list each may have access to child's name, Social Security number, and relationship to you. The IRS uses the SSN to verify the child is real and that no one else has already claimed them.

If you use tax software (like TurboTax, H&R Block, or FreeTaxUSA), the program walks you through questions about each child and automatically fills in the credit. If you file by hand or with a tax professional, they will complete Schedule 8812 for you. Either way, you must have each child's Social Security number before you start.

You file your return with the IRS by the tax important date (usually April 15). If you claim a child who is not actually your dependent, or if you list an incorrect SSN, the IRS will reject that part of your return and send you a notice. You can then correct it by filing an amended return (Form 1040-X).

What changed from 2023 to 2024

The credit amount stayed the same at $2,000 per child. The income thresholds and phase-out rules also remained unchanged. The refundable portion (Additional Child Tax Credit) stayed at $1,700 per child for 2024.

The main thing that changes year to year is the income threshold at which the credit begins to phase out. Congress adjusts this threshold for inflation, but for 2024 it remained at $400,000 for married filing jointly and $200,000 for single filers — the same as 2023. Always check the IRS website or your tax software for the current year's amounts, since these can shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim the Child Tax Credit if my child does not have a Social Security number yet?

No. Your child must have a valid Social Security number to claim the credit. If you are expecting a child or recently adopted, you can explore for an SSN through the Social Security Administration. Once you receive the number, you can claim the credit on your tax return or file an amended return if you already filed without it.

What if I share custody of a child with another parent?

Only one parent can claim the Child Tax Credit for each child in a given year. The child must have lived with you for more than half of 2024. If you and the other parent split custody evenly, you need to decide who will claim the child, or you can alternate years. The other parent cannot claim the credit if you do.

Do I lose the entire credit if my income is too high?

No. The credit phases out gradually, not all at once. You lose $50 for every $1,000 of income above the threshold. Even at very high incomes, you retain some credit unless your income is so high that the phase-out eliminates it entirely (which happens at $440,000 for married filing jointly with one child, for example).

Can I claim the Child Tax Credit if the child lives with their grandparent?

Only if you are the grandparent and the child lived with you for more than half of 2024. If the child lives with the grandparent and you are the parent, you cannot claim the credit — the person the child actually lives with can claim it if they meet all other requirements.

What if I claimed a child but the IRS rejected it because of a duplicate SSN?

This means another person already claimed that child for the same year. Contact the other person to resolve who should claim the child. Once you agree, the person who should not claim the child files an amended return (Form 1040-X) removing them. Then you can file your own amended return if needed.