Additional Child Tax Credit

What is an additional child tax credit?

If you cannot use the entire amount of your child tax credit on line 53 of For 1040 because it is more than your tax, you may be able to claim the unused amount of the child tax credit as an additional child tax credit on line 68.

The additional child tax credit is a refundable tax credit which means you can get a tax refund from the IRS even if you do not owe any tax.

Limits on additional child tax credit amounts

If you have taxable earned income in excess of $11,300, the additional child tax credit is generally the lower of the amount you were unable to claim on line 53 or 15% of your taxable earned income in excess of $11,300.

For purposes of additional child tax credit, your taxable earned income is generally the amount on line 7 of tax form 1040.

How to claim additional child tax credit with three or more children?

If you have three or more qualifying children, you can claim an additional child tax credit for the amount your social security or Medicare taxes exceed your earned income credit if this amount is greater than the credit that is based on your earned income in excess of $11,300.

This amount cannot exceed the unused amount of your line 53 credit.

Figuring out the additional child tax credit

If you answered "yes" on line 4 or 5 of the Child Tax Credit Worksheet, use Form 8812, Additional Child Tax Credit, to see if you can claim the additional child tax credit.

First figure the amount of the child tax credit on line 53. The amount of that credit must be more than your tax.

Then complete Form 1040 through line 66 and complete line 67 if that applies to you before completing form 8812.