{
  "slug": "child-tax-credit-estimate",
  "title": "Child Tax Credit Estimate Calculator",
  "heading": "Child Tax Credit Estimator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-tax-credit-estimate",
  "summary": "Estimate your Child Tax Credit based on income and number of kids.",
  "description": "The Child Tax Credit is $2,000 per qualifying child under 17, of which up to $1,700 (2024 figure, indexed) is refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit. The full credit phases out above modified adjusted gross income of $200,000 single or $400,000 married filing jointly, reduced by $50 for every $1,000 (or fraction) over the threshold. This calculator applies that phase-out to estimate your credit and separates the refundable portion, which matters if your tax liability is small — refundable credit comes back as a refund even if it exceeds what you owe, while the non-refundable portion only offsets tax you actually owe.",
  "formula": "Credit before phaseout = $2,000 × qualifying children; phaseout = $50 per $1,000 over threshold; final credit = max(0, credit − phaseout).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=child-tax-credit-estimate",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "children",
      "label": "Qualifying children under 17",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "agi",
      "label": "Modified adjusted gross income",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 145000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "filingStatus",
      "label": "Filing status",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "mfj",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "mfj",
          "label": "Married filing jointly"
        },
        {
          "value": "single",
          "label": "Single / head of household"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "taxLiability",
      "label": "Tax owed before credits",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "finalCredit",
      "label": "Estimated total credit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "baseCredit",
      "label": "Credit before phaseout",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "phaseout",
      "label": "Phaseout reduction",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "refundablePortion",
      "label": "Max refundable portion",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "appliedToTax",
      "label": "Amount applied to tax owed",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Qualifying children under 17: 2",
      "Modified adjusted gross income: 145000 $",
      "Filing status: Married filing jointly",
      "Tax owed before credits: 6000 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated total credit: $4,000",
      "Credit before phaseout: $4,000",
      "Phaseout reduction: $0",
      "Max refundable portion: $3,400",
      "Amount applied to tax owed: $4,000"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter qualifying children under 17.",
      "Enter modified adjusted gross income ($).",
      "Enter filing status.",
      "Enter tax owed before credits ($).",
      "Read your estimated total credit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "children": 1,
        "agi": 87000,
        "filingStatus": "mfj",
        "taxLiability": 3600
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "children": 2,
        "agi": 145000,
        "filingStatus": "mfj",
        "taxLiability": 6000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "children": 3,
        "agi": 232000,
        "filingStatus": "mfj",
        "taxLiability": 9600
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What makes a child a 'qualifying child' for this credit?",
      "a": "Under 17 at year end, related to you (child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or their descendant), lived with you more than half the year, didn't provide more than half their own support, and is claimed as your dependent. A valid Social Security number is required for the child."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the difference between the Child Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit?",
      "a": "They're the same $2,000-per-child credit; the 'additional' portion is just the refundable slice (up to $1,700 per child for 2024) that you can get back even if you owe no tax. The nonrefundable portion only reduces tax liability to zero, it can't generate a refund on its own."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this estimate exact enough to file with?",
      "a": "No — this is a planning estimate. File with actual tax software or a preparer, since exact phaseout rounding, earned income requirements for refundability, and interactions with other credits (like the Child and Dependent Care Credit) can shift the final number slightly."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dependent-care-fsa-savings",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-of-raising-a-child"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Child Tax Credit Estimate Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-tax-credit-estimate)"
}