Child Tax Credit Calculator

The child tax credit can lower your tax bill by thousands of dollars a year. For 2026 it's $2,200 per child under 17, with part of it refundable even if you owe little or no tax. This calculator estimates your credit, including the phase-out for higher incomes.

What this calculator does

Enter the number of children under 17, other dependents, your household income (MAGI), earned income and filing status. It shows:

• your estimated credit,
• the credit before the phase-out,
• how much it's reduced by the phase-out, and
• the refundable part.

The formula in plain English

Credit before phase-out = $2,200 × children under 17 + $500 × other dependents.

Phase-out = $50 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of MAGI above $200,000 ($400,000 married filing jointly).

Credit after phase-out = credit before − phase-out, not below zero.

The credit first reduces your income tax. If some is left over, part can be refunded: up to $1,700 per child, limited to 15% of earned income above $2,500.

A worked example

The Nguyens are married filing jointly with two children under 17 and household income of $180,000.

• Credit before phase-out: $4,400.
• Income is below $400,000, so there's no phase-out.
• Their income tax is more than $4,400, so they use the full credit to reduce it.
• Credit: $4,400.

If they earned $420,000, the credit would drop by $1,000 to $3,400. A single parent with two children earning $20,000 would owe only about $390 in income tax; the credit wipes that out, and about $2,625 more could be refunded, for a total benefit of about $3,015.

Why it matters at each career stage

If you're: Resident / fellow

Residents with children usually get the full credit. If your tax is low, the refundable part can mean a larger refund.

If you're: Employed

Many single attendings earning above $200,000 see the credit shrink, and it disappears around $244,000 for one child. Married couples keep the full credit up to $400,000. Pre-tax retirement contributions lower MAGI and can preserve some of the credit.

If you're: Practice owner

Business owners with variable income can see the credit change a lot from year to year. Retirement plan contributions and business deductions lower MAGI.

Other family tax benefits

Child and dependent care credit. Helps with daycare and after-school care costs.

Dependent care FSA. Lets you pay up to $7,500 of care costs with pre-tax money in 2026.

529 plans. Tax-free growth for education costs.

Trump accounts. A new tax-advantaged account for children, with a $1,000 federal deposit for babies born 2025–2028.

Common questions about qualifying

Divorced or separated parents. Usually the parent the child lived with for more of the year claims the credit, though parents can agree to let the other parent claim it using IRS Form 8332.

Children who turn 17. The child must be under 17 on December 31. A child who turns 17 during the year moves to the $500 credit for other dependents.

Babies born during the year. A child born at any point in the year, even December 31, counts for the full year, as long as the child has a Social Security number by the filing deadline.

Older dependents. College students, adult children with disabilities and parents you support may qualify for the $500 credit.

Adjusting your withholding

If you'll get a large credit, you can lower your withholding on your W-4 so you get the money in each paycheck instead of waiting for a refund. If you're near the phase-out, be careful not to under-withhold.

Next, plan childcare costs, compare a nanny vs daycare, and project a 529 plan.