Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Estimated total credit
$4,000
Credit before phaseout
$4,000
Phaseout reduction
$0
Max refundable portion
$3,400
Amount applied to tax owed
$4,000
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How to use this
- 1Enter qualifying children under 17.
- 2Enter modified adjusted gross income ($).
- 3Enter filing status.
- 4Enter tax owed before credits ($).
- 5Read your estimated total credit on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Qualifying children under 17: 2
- Modified adjusted gross income: 145000 $
- Filing status: Married filing jointly
- Tax owed before credits: 6000 $
Results
- Estimated total credit: $4,000
- Credit before phaseout: $4,000
- Phaseout reduction: $0
- Max refundable portion: $3,400
- Amount applied to tax owed: $4,000
What each field means
Inputs
- Qualifying children under 17
- The qualifying children under 17 used in the calculation. Starts at 2 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10.
- Modified adjusted gross income ($)
- The modified adjusted gross income used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 145000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Filing status
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Married filing jointly, Single / head of household.
- Tax owed before credits ($)
- The tax owed before credits used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 6000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Estimated total credit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Credit before phaseout
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Phaseout reduction
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Max refundable portion
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Amount applied to tax owed
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What makes a child a 'qualifying child' for this credit?
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.
What's the difference between the Child Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit?
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.
Is this estimate exact enough to file with?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Child Tax Credit Estimate Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-tax-credit-estimate
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-tax-credit-estimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Child Tax Credit Estimate Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Child Tax Credit Estimate Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-tax-credit-estimate) (2026).