- 1). Review your wages information to see if your family is eligible to claim the full amount of the child tax credit. Married parents who claim together must an adjusted gross income of less than $110,000; the maximum for married parents who file separately is $55,000 each. The limit of eligibility for single parents, or widowers, peaks at $75,000. Even if your income exceeds these amounts, you are still able to receive a smaller credit.
- 2). Assess the amount of tax liability that you are responsible for. If $750 is owed to the IRS and you receive the full $1,000 credit, the amount owed will be automatically paid with the child tax credit. You will not be able to keep the remaining balance of $250 in most cases, but the balance that you owe will be completely cleared.
- 3). Figure out your eligibility for an Additional Child Credit, which is awarded for families who did not qualify for the full amount of credit otherwise. This credit is calculated in two ways. The first is by estimating 15 percent of your family's income that exceeds $3,000, or the amount equal to or less than the difference of the maximum credit amount ($1,000) and what you originally qualified for. The second way is if your family claims three or more children and the amount you paid out in taxes is greater than the child tax credit you were determined to be eligible for.
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