Child tax credit calculator 2026

The headline figure is $2,200 a child, but almost nobody needs to know that number on its own. What matters is how much of it survives the income phase-out, how much of it your tax bill can absorb, and how much comes back as a refund. This works out all three.

Your child tax credit

$4,400

It cuts your federal tax bill by $2,840, from $2,840 to $0. Your tax bill runs out before the credit does, so $1,560 comes back as a refund when you file.

Maximum for your family: $4,400
Lost to the phase-out: $0
Cuts your tax by: $2,840
Refunded at filing: $1,560

Why the credit is not simply cash

Federal tax before the creditWhat you would owe with no children	$2,840
Credit applied against itA credit comes off the tax itself, not off your income	−$2,840
Federal tax after the creditThe credit wiped it out entirely	$0
Refunded at filingThe additional child tax credit, paid to you	$1,560

Take-home in the figures above is $55,410, or $2,131.15 bi-weekly. Any refundable amount is deliberately left out of that: it arrives once a year after you file, not in your paycheck, and treating it as take-home would overstate what you have to live on each month.

Three things decide what you actually get

The age test. A child has to be under 17 on the last day of the year for the full $2,200. Turning 17 during the year moves them to the $500 credit for other dependents, which is a drop of $1,700 that catches families out every year.

The phase-out. Above $400,000 jointly, or $200,000 otherwise, the credit falls by $50 per $1,000 of income. It fades rather than stopping, so a family just over the line loses very little.

Your tax bill. The credit cancels tax you owe. Once your bill reaches zero the rest is only useful if it is refundable, and up to $1,700 a child is, capped at 15% of what you earned above $2,500. A family with a small tax bill can therefore receive money rather than merely stop paying.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the child tax credit for 2026?

Up to $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17, and $500 for each other dependent, such as a 17-year-old, a college student or a dependent parent. A married couple on $60,000 with two children gets the full $4,400, which cuts their federal tax by $2,840 and refunds $1,560 at filing.

What is the income limit for the child tax credit?

The credit starts shrinking above $200,000 of income, or $400,000 on a joint return. It falls by $50 for every $1,000 above that, counted in whole thousands, so a couple with two children keeps some of it until about $488,000. There is no cliff: it fades out rather than stopping.

Is the child tax credit refundable?

Partly. It first cancels federal income tax you owe. If the credit is larger than your tax bill, up to $1,700 per child can still be paid to you as the additional child tax credit, limited to 15% of your earnings above $2,500. That is why a low earner with children often receives money rather than simply paying nothing.

Does the child tax credit increase my paycheck?

Not by itself. It is claimed on your return, so for most families it arrives as a larger refund once a year. You can change your W-4 to have less withheld through the year instead, which spreads the same money across your paychecks rather than lending it to the government first.

What is the difference between a credit and a deduction?

A deduction reduces the income you are taxed on, so it is worth your tax rate. A credit comes off the tax itself, dollar for dollar. $2,200 of child tax credit is worth $2,200, whereas a $2,200 deduction is worth a few hundred. This is why credits matter far more to families on ordinary incomes.

Does my state have its own child credit?

Several do, and they run on their own rules, their own amounts and their own income limits. This calculator works out the federal credit only and does not touch state tax, because applying the federal figure across every state would produce numbers no state actually charges.

Which children qualify?

A child must be under 17 at the end of the tax year, be your dependent, live with you for more than half the year, and have a Social Security number valid for work. The age test catches people out most often: a child who turns 17 during the year drops to the $500 credit for other dependents.

Where these figures come from

The $2,200 maximum and the $1,700 refundable limit are read from the IRS revenue procedure for each of the 5 tax years this site covers. The $500 credit for other dependents and the phase-out thresholds are set in statute and are not adjusted for inflation, which is why they appear in no revenue procedure and have not moved in years. The methodology page sets out how every figure here is tested before the site is allowed to build.

Hadi · Developer and maintainer

Federal tables checked against the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments on 2026-09-03. State figures, where quoted, are each state's latest published schedule, 2025; federal figures are 2026.

Child tax credit calculator 2026