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Child Tax Credit 2026 and 2027: How Much You’ll Get, With a Calculator
Enter your kids and income to see your credit, and how much of it comes back as a refund, for 2026 and 2027.
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Child tax credit calculator, 2026 and 2027
Enter your children, filing status and income. We follow Schedule 8812 and show how much comes off your tax and how much comes back as a refund.
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The short answer
Up to $2,200 per child under 17 for 2026, the return you’ll file in early 2027, and up to $2,300 for 2027. The IRS set the 2027 amount on Nov. 5, 2026, its first inflation increase under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Up to $1,700 per child (2026) or $1,800 (2027) can come back as a refund even if you owe no tax, but only if you earned more than $2,500. The credit shrinks above $200,000 of income, or $400,000 on a joint return.
The calculator above runs your numbers for both years.
At a glance
- 2026 (filed in 2027)
- Up to $2,200 per child; up to $1,700 refundable
- 2027 (filed in 2028)
- Up to $2,300 per child; up to $1,800 refundable
- Other dependents
- $500 each (17 and older, or without an SSN), not refundable
- Income limit
- Shrinks by $50 per $1,000 over $200,000 ($400,000 married filing jointly)
- Refund needs
- Earned income over $2,500; refund is 15% of earnings above that, up to the cap
- Child must be
- Under 17 on Dec. 31, with an SSN valid for work; lived with you over half the year
- Parent needs
- An SSN (on a joint return, at least one spouse)
- Refund timing
- Returns claiming the refundable part: no refunds before mid-February
- Last checked
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, against the sources at the end of this page
What the credit is worth, year by year
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the credit to $2,200 per child for 2025, made it permanent and tied it to inflation from 2026 on.
The first adjustment left 2026 at $2,200; the second moves 2027 to $2,300. The refundable part, the money you can get back even if you owe no tax, goes from $1,700 to $1,800.
| Tax year | Per child under 17 | Refundable up to | Other dependents | Phase-out starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (filed in 2026) | $2,200 | $1,700 | $500 | $200,000; $400,000 joint |
| 2026 (filed in 2027) | $2,200 | $1,700 | $500 | $200,000; $400,000 joint |
| 2027 (filed in 2028) | $2,300 | $1,800 | $500 | $200,000; $400,000 joint |
The highlighted row is the one most people need next: it’s the return you’ll file between January and April 2027. The other numbers on this page aren’t in the IRS inflation tables; they’re fixed in the law: the $500 credit for other dependents, the $200,000 and $400,000 income thresholds, and the $2,500 earnings floor for the refund.
What real families get: nine examples
The same credit pays very different amounts depending on income. Here’s what the calculator gives for nine households, all with wage income and the standard deduction.
| Family | Income | 2026 return (filed 2027) | 2027 return (filed 2028) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single parent, part-time job (Head of household, 1 child) | $12,000 | $1,425 ($1,425 refundable) | $1,425 ($1,425 refundable) |
| Single parent (Head of household, 1 child) | $25,000 | $1,785 ($1,700 refundable) | $1,808 ($1,800 refundable) |
| Single parent, two kids (Head of household, 2 children) | $40,000 | $4,400 ($2,815 refundable) | $4,600 ($3,092 refundable) |
| Couple, three kids (Married, joint, 3 children) | $35,000 | $5,155 ($4,875 refundable) | $5,055 ($4,875 refundable) |
| Couple, two kids (Married, joint, 2 children) | $60,000 | $4,400 ($1,560 refundable) | $4,600 ($1,896 refundable) |
| Couple, two kids and a college student (Married, joint, 2 children + 1 other) | $80,000 | $4,900 ($0 refundable) | $5,100 ($0 refundable) |
| Couple, two kids (Married, joint, 2 children) | $100,000 | $4,400 ($0 refundable) | $4,600 ($0 refundable) |
| Single parent, high income (Single, 1 child) | $210,000 | $1,700 ($0 refundable) | $1,800 ($0 refundable) |
| Couple, two kids, high income (Married, joint, 2 children) | $430,000 | $2,900 ($0 refundable) | $3,100 ($0 refundable) |
Three things show up in the table.
- Middle incomes get the full amount. For a married couple with two kids, everything from about $43,000 to $400,000 gets the full $2,200 a child in 2026 and $2,300 in 2027. A single parent of two filing as head of household gets it from about $35,000.
- Low incomes get less. When you owe little or no income tax, only the refundable part reaches you, and it’s capped at 15% of your pay above $2,500. A parent earning $12,000 gets $1,425, not $2,200, in both years.
- High incomes lose $50 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of modified AGI over $200,000, or $400,000 on a joint return.
Why the 2027 raise skips some families
The extra $100 a child only helps if you can use it. A family whose refund is already limited by the 15% rule gets the same refund in 2027.
It can even go the other way. The couple with three kids on $35,000 owes a little less income tax in 2027, because the standard deduction rises. With less tax to wipe out and the refund capped by their pay, their credit comes to $5,055 in 2027, $100 less than in 2026. With three or more children, though, the IRS lets you figure the refund from the Social Security and Medicare taxes you paid instead (Schedule 8812, Part II-B), which can raise it.
Who counts as a qualifying child
The IRS lists seven tests. Your child generally must:
- Be under 17 at the end of the year. A child who turns 17 on Dec. 31 doesn’t count for that year; they move to the $500 credit for other dependents.
- Be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, or a descendant of one of them, such as a grandchild, niece or nephew.
- Have lived with you for more than half the year.
- Not have paid more than half of their own support.
- Be claimed as your dependent.
- Not file a joint return, unless only to get back withheld tax.
- Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. resident alien.
The Social Security number rule
Since the 2025 tax year, the child needs a Social Security number valid for work, issued before your return’s due date. And so do you: on a joint return, at least one spouse must have one; the other can have an SSN or an ITIN.
A dependent with an ITIN or an adoption number (ATIN) can still qualify for the $500 credit for other dependents, which isn’t refundable.
When the money arrives
If you claim the refundable part, the additional child tax credit, the IRS can’t issue your refund before mid-February. That holds the whole refund, not just the credit. The IRS says to check Where’s My Refund in mid- to late February for your date.
The non-refundable part shows up as a lower tax bill, or a bigger refund of the tax withheld from your paychecks. You can also claim it during the year: Step 3 of Form W-4 ($2,200 a child on the 2026 form) lowers your withholding, so the credit lands in each paycheck instead.
1:29Other credits to check
If you qualify for this one, the IRS points to four more: the earned income tax credit (up to $8,231 with three or more children in 2026, and $8,496 in 2027), the child and dependent care credit, the adoption credit and the education credits.
To see your tax before credits, bracket by bracket, use our 2026 and 2027 tax bracket calculator.
How the calculator works
It follows Schedule 8812, the form the credit is claimed on, line by line: the full credit, the $50-per-$1,000 phase-out, your income tax before credits, the part of the credit that tax absorbs, and the refundable part, which is the smallest of what’s left, the per-child cap and 15% of your pay over $2,500.
To get your tax, it takes your income minus the standard deduction and runs it through the IRS brackets for that year, the same numbers as our tax bracket page. It doesn’t know about other credits, itemized deductions or the extra standard deduction at 65, so your return can come out different.
The dollar amounts come from IRS Revenue Procedures 2025-32 (for 2026) and 2026-35 (for 2027); the rules come from the IRS instructions for Schedule 8812.
What we don't know yet
- The 2027 Schedule 8812 and its instructions. The IRS publishes them late in 2027; the calculator uses the 2025 form’s rules, which the law hasn’t changed.
- The exact date the IRS starts releasing refunds that include the additional child tax credit in 2027. It announces the filing season in January.
- Any change by Congress. The credit amount is permanent law now, but Congress can still change it.
When any of this is confirmed, it goes into the page and the update history below.
Questions people ask
How much is the child tax credit for 2026?
Up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, on the 2026 return you file in early 2027. Up to $1,700 per child is refundable if you earned more than $2,500.
How much is the child tax credit for 2027?
Up to $2,300 per child, $100 more than 2026, with up to $1,800 refundable. The IRS set it in Revenue Procedure 2026-35 on Nov. 5, 2026. It applies to the return you file in 2028.
Is the child tax credit $2,200 or $2,300?
Both, for different years: $2,200 for the 2025 and 2026 tax years, $2,300 for 2027.
What is the income limit for the child tax credit?
The full credit goes to modified AGI up to $200,000, or $400,000 if married filing jointly. Above that it drops $50 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) over the line. With two children it’s gone above $287,000 single or $487,000 joint.
Can I get the child tax credit if I don’t owe taxes?
Yes, the refundable part, called the additional child tax credit: up to $1,700 per child for 2026 and $1,800 for 2027. It’s 15% of your earned income above $2,500, up to that cap, so you need some earnings.
Does my child need a Social Security number?
Yes. The child needs an SSN valid for work, issued before your return is due. Since 2025 the parent does too; on a joint return at least one spouse must have one. A dependent with an ITIN can still get the $500 credit for other dependents.
What if my child turns 17 this year?
If they’re 17 on Dec. 31, they don’t qualify for the child tax credit that year. You may get the $500 credit for other dependents instead.
When will I get my refund if I claim the child tax credit?
If you claim the refundable part, the IRS can’t issue your refund before mid-February, and that holds the whole refund. The IRS says to check Where’s My Refund in mid- to late February for your date.
