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Tax Calculators, Forms for Tax Year 2021 Pages

Child Tax Credit Calculator 2021

The 2021 Child Tax Credit, or CTC, is a fully refundable tax credit for qualifying individuals. Note: it is fully refundable for 2021 only; for other tax years, it is partially refundable.

This 2021 Child Tax Credit calculator informs you if a person qualifies as a dependent on your 2021 Tax Return and if you qualify for the Child Tax Credit, the Dependent Care Credit, and/or the Other Dependent Credit.

How to Calculate the 2021 Child Tax Credit?

The deadline to e-file 2021 Tax Returns was October 17, 2022. Use these 2021 Tax Calculators and Forms to help you prepare your 2021 Taxes before you mail them to the IRS and/or state tax agency. When you file your 2021 Taxes, you will need to reconcile any advance Child Tax Payments you received during 2021 - there is a line item for this on Schedule 8812.

The tool below applies the enhanced Child Tax Credit amounts and modified qualifications as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan. Calculate your 2021 Child Tax Credit below by determining your eligibility based on basic information.

2021 CHILDucator Tool Learn more about this tool
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2021 CHILDucator
Find out if you can claim the Child Tax Credit or the Other Dependents Credit.

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2021 Child Tax Credit Calculator
Is the person a United States citizen, U.S. national, or a resident alien with a valid SSN, ITIN, or ATIN and was born on or before December 31, 2021? More Qualifying Details.
How is this person related to you? Relationship Details.
Was the child under the age of 18 as of Dec. 31 of the tax year? Dependents and Age.
Was your child:
  • - Under age 19?
  • - A student under age 24?
  • - Permanently or totally disabled at any age?
  • If any of the above is true, select Yes below.
Did the child live with you for more than half of the year?
Did the child provide more than half of his or her own support for the year?
Did the child file a joint tax return?
Is the person a qualifying dependent of any other taxpayer?
Did the person live with you all year as a member of your household?
Was the person's gross income for the year
MORE than $4,300? Qualifying Relative Income.
Did you provide more than half - 50% plus -
of the person's total support for the year? Support Details.
Did you have earned income during the tax year? Details on Earned Income.
Did you pay expenses for the care of your dependent to allow you to work or look for work? Dependent Care Expense Details.
Are you excluding or deducting at least $3,000 of dependent care benefits for this dependent?
Were your dependent care payments made to:
  • - Someone you or your spouse could claim as a dependent?
  • - Your spouse?
  • - The parent of your qualifying child who is under age 14?
  • - Your child who was under age 19 at the end of the tax year?
Select your Filing Status
Do you know the care provider’s name, address, and identifying number? Or if not, did you make a reasonable effort to get this information? (See due diligence.)
Here are your results:
Is this person your dependent and can they be included on your tax return?
No
Does this person qualify for the Child Tax Credit, worth up to $3,600 per child?
No
Does this person qualify for the Credit for Other Dependents, worth up to $500 per person?
No
Can you claim the Dependent Care Credit for this person, worth up to $8,000?
No
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Once you have determined if someone is your qualifying dependent, start with the 2021 Tax Forms that you can fill in for free online. For dependent credits, including the Child Tax Credit, you will need the federal Schedule 8812. Since you can no longer e-file 2021 Returns, mail in your 2021 Taxes to the IRS - see state tax forms and addresses.

You can e-file your 2023 year taxes regardless of when you mail your back taxes: create a free eFile.com account and start preparing to file your taxes online. The eFile Tax App will fill in all the complicated IRS forms, walk you through filing your taxes online step by step, and help you claim any other credits and tax deductions you may be entitled to.

Important: This tool's enhanced Child Tax Credit amounts are for 2021 Returns only. For 2022 Returns and all other years, the amount of the CTC is unchanged. See details on the updated Child Tax Credit amounts.

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