# Child Tax Credit Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/finance/child-tax-credit/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The child tax credit calculator estimates your 2026 U.S. child tax credit – $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 – after the income phase-out, and how much of it can be refunded as the additional child tax credit.

## Inputs

- Filing status
- Adjusted gross income
- Earned income
- Children under 17
- Other dependents
- Income tax before credits

## Results

- Credit before phase-out
- Phase-out reduction
- Child tax credit after phase-out
- Used against your tax
- Refundable additional child tax credit
- Total benefit

## Formula

```
Credit = $2,200 × children under 17 + $500 × other dependents
Phase-out: reduced by $50 for each $1,000 of AGI above $200,000 ($400,000 married filing jointly)
Refundable part = min($1,700 per child, 15% × (earned income − $2,500))
```

## Explanation

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the credit to $2,200 per child from 2025 and indexes it to inflation. Children need a Social Security number, and so does at least one parent. The refundable part helps families whose tax bill is smaller than the credit.

### How to use the Child Tax Credit Calculator

- **Filing status**
- **Adjusted gross income**
- **Earned income**
- **Children under 17**
- **Other dependents**
- **Income tax before credits**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter your filing status, AGI, earned income, number of children under 17, other dependents and your income tax before credits.

### Tips

- Tax figures here are estimates for planning – your actual tax depends on credits, deductions and local rules.
- Check the tax year and filing status before you rely on a result.
- Use gross (before-tax) figures unless a field asks for take-home pay.
- When in doubt, confirm with the tax authority's own calculator or a tax professional.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Confusing marginal and effective tax rates.
- Adding sales tax to a price that already includes it.
- Forgetting payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) on wages.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterFiling statusChoose one: Single, Married filing jointly, Married filing separately, Head of householdAdjusted gross incomeAmount in your currencyEarned incomeAmount in your currencyChildren under 17A numberOther dependentsA numberIncome tax before creditsAmount in your currency

### What each result means

- **Credit before phase-out** = 2200×[Children under 17] + 500×[Other dependents]
- **Child tax credit after phase-out** = [Credit before phase-out]([Credit before phase-out] - [Phase-out reduction], 0)
- **Used against your tax** = min([Child tax credit after phase-out], [Income tax before credits])
- **Refundable additional child tax credit** = min([Child tax credit after phase-out] - [Used against your tax], min(1700×[Children under 17], [Credit before phase-out](0.15×([Earned income] - 2500), 0)))
- **Total benefit** = [Used against your tax] + [Refundable additional child tax credit]

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Adjusted gross income** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Adjusted gross incomeChild tax credit after phase-out47,5004,40071,2504,40095,0004,400118,7504,400142,5004,400190,0004,400

## Worked example

Inputs — Filing status: Married filing jointly; Adjusted gross income: $95,000; Earned income: $95,000; Children under 17: 2; Other dependents: 0; Income tax before credits: $6,000.

Results — Credit before phase-out = $4,400.00; Phase-out reduction = $0.00; **Child tax credit after phase-out = $4,400.00**; Used against your tax = $4,400.00; Refundable additional child tax credit = $0.00; Total benefit = $4,400.00.

## FAQ

**How much is the child tax credit for 2026?**
$2,200 per qualifying child under 17.

**When does it phase out?**
Above $200,000 of AGI ($400,000 for married couples filing jointly).

**Is the child tax credit refundable?**
Up to $1,700 per child, based on earned income.

**What formula does the Child Tax Credit Calculator use?**
Credit = $2,200 × children under 17 + $500 × other dependents.


## Sources

- [IRS – Child tax credit](https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit)