Clarion H&R Block Tax Tips: Child Tax Credit

Divorced and Separated Parents

The Child Tax Credit requirements apply to divorced or separated parents. However, if the parents have a qualifying agreement for the noncustodial parent to claim the child, the noncustodial parent who claims the child as a dependent is eligible to claim the Child Tax Credit.

A parent can claim the child tax credit if their filing status is Married Filing Separately.

Income Phase-out

The Child Tax Credit amounts change as your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) increases. In fact, once you reach a certain threshold, the credit decreases or phases out.

And the credit is reduced $50 for every $1,000 — or fraction thereof — that your modified AGI is more than:

• $200,000 if filing as single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er)
• $400,000 if married filing jointly
• $200,000 if married filing separately

For the purpose of this credit, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is your AGI plus excluded foreign earned income, possession income, and foreign housing.

Additional Child Tax Credit

If your Child Tax Credit is limited because of your tax liability, you might be able to claim the additional Child Tax Credit. To qualify, one of these must apply:

• Your earned income must be more than $2,500 for 2022
• You must have three or more qualifying children.

If you have at least one qualifying child, you can claim a credit of up to 15% of your earned income in excess of the earned income threshold, $2,500.

If you have three or more qualifying children, you can either:

• Claim a refundable credit of the net Social Security and Medicare tax you paid in excess of your Earned Income Credit (EIC), if any
• Use the 15% method described earlier

The maximum refundable portion of the credit is limited to $1,500 per qualifying child.

More Child Tax Credit Requirements and Rules

You can’t carry forward any portion of the Child Tax Credit to future tax years. You need to claim the nonrefundable credits in a certain order to get the most benefit. You might need to calculate other credits first to properly apply the credit.

While the maximum credit is $2,000 total per qualifying child, taxpayers who don’t have that much tax liability may instead be subject to the lower $1,500 refundable credit limit.

To Learn More About schedule 8812

Whether you make an appointment with one of our knowledgeable tax pros or choose one of our online tax filing products, you can count on H&R Block to help you complete your Schedule 8812.

For more information on all of the ways to receive help from H&R Block when filing taxes this season, visit Clarion H&R Block.

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