Child Tax Credit Calculator: How Much Will I Get?

For tax year 2026, the return you file in 2027, you can get up to $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17, and up to $1,700 per child of it is refundable. For tax year 2027 the amounts are $2,300 and $1,800 (Rev. Proc. 2026-35). The credit shrinks by $50 for each $1,000 of modified AGI over $200,000 ($400,000 if married filing jointly); pick the year and enter your numbers below.

Maintained by Archie Chang · Amounts checked against IRS and statute text on November 7, 2026 · Methodology & sources

Not tax advice. FedRateCalc is independent and is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service. This page calculates only the federal credit, from the numbers you enter. It does not decide whether a child qualifies or check Social Security numbers, residency or age; the IRS decides your actual credit. Read the IRS child tax credit page for the eligibility rules. For the amounts themselves see child tax credit 2026 and child tax credit 2027.

Your numbers

Tax year

Using $2,200 per child, $1,700 refundable, for tax year 2026.

Filing status

Qualifying children under 17 at the end of 2026, each with a Social Security number valid for employment

Other dependents (ODC: children 17 or older, or without the required Social Security number)

Modified AGI

Adjusted gross income plus any income you exclude for Puerto Rico, foreign earned income or American Samoa (Schedule 8812 line 3).

Earned income

Wages, tips and net self-employment earnings. It limits the refundable part.

Tax the credit can reduce

Income tax after other nonrefundable credits (Credit Limit Worksheet A in the Schedule 8812 instructions). Use 0 if you owe no income tax.

I (or at least one spouse on a joint return) have a Social Security number valid for employment

The starting numbers are an example, not a recommendation. Replace them with yours.

Your estimated 2026 credit

Total child tax credit and credit for other dependents

$4,400

An estimate. Your return and the IRS decide the actual amount.

Credit before the income reduction: $4,400
Reduction for income (phase-out): $0
Credit after the phase-out: $4,400
Reduces your tax (nonrefundable): $2,000
Refundable part (ACTC): $2,400

Credit before the income limit: 2 qualifying children x $2,200 + 0 other dependents x $500 = $4,400.
Income limit: modified AGI of $60,000 is not over the $200,000 threshold, so there is no reduction.
Credit after the income limit: $4,400.
Nonrefundable credit: the smaller of $4,400 and the tax of $2,000, which is $2,000.
Left for the refundable credit: $2,400. Refundable cap: 2 x $1,700 = $3,400.
15% of earned income over $2,500: 15% x ($60,000 - $2,500) = $8,625.
Refundable credit (additional child tax credit): the smallest of $2,400, $3,400 and $8,625, which is $2,400.
Total credit: $2,000 + $2,400 = $4,400.

An estimate that follows the line arithmetic of the 2025 Schedule 8812 with the 2026 amounts. The final 2026 form is not published.

What the child tax credit covers

The calculator gives the credit for qualifying children under 17, the $500 credit for other dependents (ODC) and the part of the credit that can be refunded (the additional child tax credit, ACTC). The reduction for income is $50 for each $1,000 over the threshold.

“(1) Maximum amount of the credit. For taxable years beginning in 2026, the maximum amount of the credit allowed under § 24(a) is $2,200. (2) Refundable portion. For taxable years beginning in 2026, the amount used in § 24(d)(1)(A) to determine the amount of the credit under § 24 that may be refundable is $1,700.”

IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.05

“In lieu of the amount determined under subsection (b)(2), the threshold amount shall be $400,000 in the case of a joint return ($200,000 in any other case).”

26 U.S.C. 24(h)(3)

EITC calculator: the other refundable credit most families check.
Tax refund schedule: when a refund that claims the ACTC or EITC can arrive.
Child tax credit 2026 and child tax credit 2027: the amounts, the statute text and the IRS release status.

Frequently asked questions

How much child tax credit will I get?

Up to $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17 for tax year 2026 and up to $2,300 for tax year 2027, plus $500 for each other dependent. The credit is reduced if your modified AGI is over $200,000 ($400,000 if married filing jointly). The calculator applies the reduction, the tax the credit can offset, and the refundable limit.

How much of the child tax credit is refundable?

Up to $1,700 per qualifying child for tax year 2026 and $1,800 for 2027, and no more than 15 percent of earned income over $2,500. The credit for other dependents is not refundable.

How is the child tax credit reduced at higher incomes?

The credit is reduced by $50 for each $1,000, or fraction of $1,000, of modified AGI over $200,000 ($400,000 for a joint return). At $10,000 over the threshold the reduction is $500. These thresholds are fixed in 26 U.S.C. 24(h) and are the same for 2026 and 2027.

Which year should I choose?

Choose 2026 for the return you file in early 2027. Choose 2027 to see the credit for income earned in 2027, which you file in 2028. The default is 2026.

What does this calculator not check?

It calculates only the federal credit, from the numbers you enter. It does not decide whether a child is your qualifying child, or check Social Security numbers, residency, age or the citizenship rule in the draft 2026 Schedule 3-A. The IRS decides your actual credit; read the IRS child tax credit page and the Schedule 8812 instructions.

Is the earned income credit calculated here too?

No. The earned income credit is a separate credit with its own calculator: use the EITC calculator on this site, or the IRS EITC Assistant for the IRS decision on whether you qualify.

Sources (checked November 7, 2026): IRS: Child Tax Credit · IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 amounts) · IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-35 (2027 amounts) · 26 U.S.C. 24 · IRS: EITC Assistant