Child Tax Credit Calculator (US)

This Child Tax Credit calculator estimates a possible US Child Tax Credit based on income, filing status, and qualifying children. It is designed for planning and general understanding.

Tax credits are different from deductions. A deduction reduces taxable income, while a credit can reduce tax owed directly. Eligibility can depend on the child's age, relationship, residency, identification number, income, and filing status.

If a family has two qualifying children and is below the income phaseout range, the credit may reduce federal tax by a meaningful amount. If income rises above the phaseout threshold, the credit may be reduced.

This calculator helps estimate the scale of the credit, but it does not replace eligibility checks on a real return.

Use the estimate when checking withholding, planning a refund, or comparing household tax scenarios. A credit can change whether withholding is too high or too low during the year.

Confirm current tax year rules, refundable portions, income phaseouts, and qualifying child requirements before relying on the final amount.

Use this calculator for a simplified US child tax credit estimate from MAGI, filing status, number of qualifying children, and optional federal tax before credit.

The component uses a base credit per qualifying child, applies a simplified income phaseout, and shows estimated tax after credit when tax before credit is entered.

It does not verify dependent eligibility, age tests, residency, support, Social Security number rules, refundability, Additional Child Tax Credit, or Child and Dependent Care Credit.

Use federal income tax first when you need a tax-before-credit estimate to enter here.

Label saved scenarios with MAGI, filing status, number of qualifying children, and the tax-before-credit figure used.

Counting all dependents as qualifying children without checking age, relationship, residency, support, and identification rules.

Assuming the calculator handles refundability or Additional Child Tax Credit rules. It does not.

Entering gross income when MAGI is materially different for the household.

Confusing the Child Tax Credit with the Child and Dependent Care Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, or dependent credit for older dependents.

Treating estimated tax after credit as a refund estimate when withholding and payments are not part of this component.

Example: enter $75,000 MAGI, single filing status, 2 qualifying children, and $0 federal tax before credit if you only want the credit estimate.

The calculator estimates base credit, checks the phaseout threshold for the selected status, applies any phaseout reduction, and shows the final estimated credit.

If you enter tax before credit, the calculator also shows estimated tax after credit.

Change child count and MAGI separately so you can see whether the result is moving because of family size or phaseout.

Use federal income tax to estimate tax before credit before using the tax-before-credit field here.

Use tax withholding after credit planning if you need to compare expected tax with withholding already paid.

Use standard deduction when filing status and taxable income need a separate standard-deduction estimate.

Use a dedicated child-care credit calculator for dependent care costs; this page does not model that credit.

Check whether each child meets the qualifying-child tests for the tax year.

Check whether current credit amount, phaseout thresholds, and refundability rules differ from this simplified model.

Check whether adoption, custody, shared support, or divorce agreements affect who can claim the credit.

Rerun this child tax credit calculator when MAGI, filing status, qualifying child count, or tax before credit changes.

Recheck after birth, adoption, a child aging out, marriage, divorce, custody changes, or a large income change.

If this estimate differs from tax software, trace qualifying-child status, MAGI, phaseout threshold, refundability, and other dependent credits separately.