How To Apply for the Child Tax Credit

By receiving the child tax credit, some families can get up to $1,000 back for each child they can claim. This article gives step-by-step instructions on applying for the child tax credit.

In order to qualify for the child tax credit, the child must be under 17 years old and you must be a legal citizen or legal resident. If the child(ren) lived with you the whole year that you are filing taxes for, you may also be able to get a child tax credit for qualifying children who are not your children (such as foster children). The income qualifications sometimes change each year, but last year, it was $75,000 for a single head of the household. For married couples who file together it was $110,000 and for married couples who file separately it was $55,000. These are approximate amounts and can be verified when you see the front of the Form 1040.

If your income is above the guidelines, check this form: Publication 972 Child Tax Credit.

To help figure out your child tax credit regarding your tax liability, try this form: Form 8812 Additional Child Tax Credit.

Another guidance form to help is Form 1040-ES.

All tax forms can be acquired at your local IRS office or online. You can get the instructions with these forms, too. There is a worksheet and a questionnaire on the tax forms to help you figure out if you qualify for the child tax credit. If there is any question, you can call the IRS or send them a question over the Internet. They are there to help with any questions or concerns. I have seen the basic income tax forms at the local post office, too.

The information you will need to fill out on your tax form is the dependent's names, ages, social security numbers, and your W-2's and/or 1099's.

The tax form you will want to fill out is Form 1040. For a qualifying child who is not your dependent, you will need to fill out the IRS Form 8901. This form is for other things, too. It should have instructions and worksheets with it, as all tax forms do.

The section on Form 1040 for the child tax credit information is line 6c.

The forms to fill out when applying for child tax credit are pretty basic and come with instructions and phone numbers to the IRS if you need any additional help filling them out.