Child Tax Credit Calculator 2026

For the 2026 tax year, the Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child and $500 per other dependent, and where your income lands decides how much of that you actually keep. The estimate here reflects the 2026 thresholds and credit values set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act so you can see how earnings interact with the maximum before any reduction kicks in.

The math begins with your top potential credit, set by the count of qualifying children and other dependents. From there the credit drops by $50 for each $1,000, or part of $1,000, of modified AGI above the phase-out lines: $400,000 for married filing jointly and $200,000 for everyone else. The non-refundable share can only offset your tax liability, while the refundable piece, the Additional Child Tax Credit, is capped at 15% of earned income over $2,500, up to $1,700 per child. The calculator shows that $1,700-per-child ceiling but does not ask for earned income or tax owed, so the refundable amount on your return can be lower.

Because the credit is non-refundable against your tax bill, any leftover may still come back to you through the Additional Child Tax Credit. The earned income test is where claims often fall apart: the refundable portion is 15% of earned income above $2,500, so a family with little earned income gets back only part of it. These figures reflect the 2026 amounts the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made permanent.