Official: This is the amount per child you can receive in February from the Child Tax Credit
American families can get a significant cash boost by claiming the Child Tax Credit in their federal tax return for 2024.
With tax season 2025 underway in the U.S., American households with qualifying children now have the opportunity to claim money back from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), by applying for what’s known as the Child Tax Credit (CTC).
And with the IRS pledging to issue speedy tax refunds if you follow its instructions for fast processing, you’re likely to get your CTC check by the end of February if you submit your federal return today (or have already filed).
Have all the necessary documents before preparing your federal tax return. Errors and omissions will slow down tax processing, including #IRS refund times. See: https://t.co/antB7GkF54
— IRSnews (@IRSnews) February 6, 2025
How much are Child Tax Credit payments in 2025? How do I apply?
Child Tax Credit payments made this tax season benefit U.S. families that had eligible dependents under the age of 17 during the 2024 tax year. The CTC scheme offers households payments of up to $2,000 per child.
The tax credit is partially non-refundable, however: beneficiaries cannot receive more than $1,700 if that higher amount exceeds the total they owe in tax for 2024.
If your tax liability is too low and you’re limited to collecting the $1,700 refundable portion of the credit, the name of what you’re receiving changes: it becomes the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC).
Who is eligible for the Child Tax Credit?
Among the eligibility criteria listed by the IRS, a claimant’s child must have been under 17 at the end of 2024; must be listed as a dependent on the tax filer’s return; must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. resident alien; and must have a Social Security Number valid for employment.
Check out the full list of CTC/ACTC eligibility criteria on the IRS website.
What are the Child Tax Credit income thresholds?
To be able to claim the full credit, parents of eligible children must have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $200,000 a year for single filers and $400,000 a year for married couples filing jointly. For every $1,000 over those thresholds, the credit is reduced by $50.
To apply for the CTC/ACTC, you need to fill in details of your dependents on your federal tax return - Form 1040 - and attach the Schedule 8812, which is the form for claiming credits for children.
How can I get the Child Tax Credit quickly?
According to the IRS’s tips on the best way to submit your federal tax return, Americans can expect to have their refund in under three weeks if they e-file and choose to be paid via direct deposit.
“Combining direct deposit with electronic filing is the fastest way to receive your refund,” the agency says. “There’s no chance of it going uncashed, getting lost, stolen, or destroyed. The IRS issues more than nine out of ten refunds in less than 21 days.”
It should be noted that the IRS says it cannot issue ACTC refunds before “mid-February”.
How to check refund status
You can monitor the progress of your 2024 tax return by using the Where’s My Refund? portal on the IRS website and the IRS2Go app.
Tax season 2025 began on January 27. Most filers in the U.S. have until April 15 to submit their federal return.
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