What is the cut-off for earned Child Tax Credit?
You qualify for the full amount of the 2023 Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return). Parents and guardians with higher incomes may be eligible to claim a partial credit.
If you earned less than $66,819 (if Married Filing Jointly) or $59,899 (if filing as Single, Qualifying Surviving Spouse or Head of Household) in tax year 2024, you may qualify for the Earned Income Credit (EIC). These amounts increased from $63,398 and $56,838, respectively, for 2023.
Residency test: The child must have lived with you for more than half of the tax year. Income test: This is the same requirements as the ones listed earlier. In short, the CTC begins phasing out for families with income above $200,000 (single filers) or $400,000 (joint filers).
Your child may be too old (over 16). You can still claim your child, as a dependent. What you can't claim is the Child tax credit. This comes as a big surprise to many parents the year their child turns 17. A child over age 16 no longer qualifies for the Child Tax credit (CTC).
In general, disqualifying income is investment income such as taxable and tax-exempt interest, dividends, child's interest and dividend income reported on the return, child's tax-exempt interest reported on Form 8814, line 1b, net rental and royalty income, net capital gain income, other portfolio income, and net ...
Check if you qualify for CalEITC
To qualify for CalEITC you must meet all of the following requirements during the tax year: You're at least 18 years old or have a qualifying child. Have earned income of at least $1.00 and not more that $30,950.
You may be eligible for the EITC if you have a low income. The amount of credit you get when you file your return can depend on whether you have children, dependents, or a disability. However, you may still be able to claim the EITC even if you do not have a qualifying child.
There are seven qualifying tests to determine eligibility for the Child Tax Credit: age, relationship, support, dependent status, citizenship, length of residency and family income. If you aren't able to claim the Child Tax Credit for a dependent, they might be eligible for the Credit for Other Dependent.
Who is eligible for the Child Tax Credit? Nearly all families with children qualify. Families will get the full amount of the Child Tax Credit if they make less than $150,000 (two parents) or $112,500 (single parent).
The maximum refundable credit amount is calculated by multiplying a family's earned income above $2,500 by 15%. This provision modifies the formula so that the refundable amount is multiplied by the number of qualifying children.
What's the cut-off for child tax credits?
You qualify for the full amount of the 2023 Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return).
To meet the qualifying child test, your child must be younger than you or your spouse if filing jointly and either younger than 19 years old or be a "student" younger than 24 years old as of the end of the calendar year.

The child tax credit paid as much as $3,600 per child in 2021 as part of Democrats' American Rescue Plan Act, with some of it coming as monthly payments, but it reverted to the $2,000 level for the 2022 tax year.
Number of Qualifying Children | State EITC Income Limits | State EITC Maximum Credits |
---|---|---|
None | $15,008 | $223 |
1 | $22,322 | $1,495 |
2 | $22,309 | $2,467 |
3 or more | $22,302 | $2,775 |
If you do not have income, and do not meet the main home requirement, you will not be able to benefit from the Child Tax Credit because the credit will not be refundable. For information about the main home requirement for the fully refundable Child Tax Credit, see Q B6.
If your adjusted gross income is greater than your earned income your Earned Income Credit is calculated with your adjusted gross income and compared to the amount you would have received with your earned income. The lower of these two calculated amounts is your Earned Income Credit.
To qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, you must: Be at least 25 years old, but not older than 65. If you're claiming jointly without children, only one person needs to meet the age requirement. Have worked and earned at least $1 in income (pensions and unemployment don't count), but no more than $63,398.
As of tax year 2022 forward, taxpayers do not need to have earned income to be eligible.
Can I file taxes with no income if I have a dependent? Yes, you are certainly allowed to file a tax return even with minimal income. Although you may not have to file a tax return based on the IRS required filing income threshold, if you are claiming a dependent, it may be beneficial to file a tax return.
Disqualifying income can prevent someone from receiving the earned income credit (EITC). Disqualifying income includes investment income, such as taxable and tax-exempt interest, dividends, pensions, and annuities, net income from rents and royalties, net capital gains, and net passive income.
How to get a tax refund with no income?
If you qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit, you can receive a refund even if your tax is $0. To claim the credits, you have to file your 1040 and other tax forms.
Additional Child Tax Credit qualifications
To qualify, one of these must apply: Your earned income must be more than $2,500 for 2023. You must have three or more qualifying children.
To receive the credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses, the expenses had to have been paid for care to be provided so that you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) could work or look for work. If both spouses do not show "earned income" (W-2's, business income, etc.), you generally cannot claim the credit.
Number of children | Max income: Single, head of household, or widowed filers | Maximum earned income tax credit amount |
---|---|---|
No children | $18,591 | $632 |
1 child | $49,084 | $4,213 |
2 children | $55,768 | $6,960 |
3 or more children | $59,899 | $7,830 |
The credit is $500 per qualifying dependent as long as the adjusted gross income (AGI) doesn't exceed $200,000 ($400,000 if filing jointly). The credit goes down $50 for every $1,000 that the AGI exceeds the $200,000/$400,000 limit.