Child Tax Credit 2009

[westjones]

OMG! I had no idea about this! My twins turn 16 this year so this will be our last year to claim them! That is awful!
DJ

 

[Jsme]

My DH had to pay child support until my step daughter graduated high school although his court order said 18 years old. My Step DD has a November birthday and we had to pay until she graduated not until she turned 18. I do not know how it would have worked if she had not graduated. I do know that EC students can go to HS until they are 22 and other students until they are 21. This is in NC.

 

[mominwestlake]

I've always assumed that the government believes that we don't need the tax break as much at this point due to the fact that at 16, our children are old enough to get a job that will contribute to their support.

My oldest is now 18 and I know our expenses are much less than they were when she was 13, 14, 15. Her weekend job allows her to purchase her own clothes, make-up, gifts for friends & family, etc... She's been able to save for her own car and now pays for her own car insurance policy, gas, car maintenance & repair, etc... Since she's always divided her money into thirds beginning with the first dollar she made (1/3 towards Spending, 1/3 towards Car, and 1/3 towards College), she already has several thousand dollars to be used towards her college living expenses this Fall - thankfully, scholarships will take care of tuition, books, and room & board. We are still paying for things like her high school fees & supplies, school lunches, shampoo/cleanser/razors/meds, haircuts... and we currently have a few additional expenses: senior portraits, graduation expenses, etc... We basically cover anything that we consider essential and DD pays for all the 'extras'. I'm quite certain that our yearly cost in raising her is substantially less than when she was younger.

Your dd is very lucky. In this economy, my just turned 16 year old is having a tough time finding a job. He's applied to several local businesses and none are hiring and not sure if they will be in the near future.

 

[tipsytrtle]

Where is this, that does child support till age 21? DD is turning 16 this year, and ex-dh's childdd support is scheduled to stop at age 18. Would LOVE to get his help into college, and that will ONLY happen if the court is still taking it automatically from his paychecks.

i believe that IF the child goes to college the state can determine that child support be paid until age 21... but i am not 100% sure

 

[Free4Life11]

I think the reason for the cut-off is by age 17 they figure most kids are old enough to have an after-school or weekend job.

 

[Halbleib1]

Weird right! Not to mention, child support goes until age 21 (which really isn't a child) so who knows where they come up with these wacky rules!!

Child support actually goes by state and here in PA it is only until age 18.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Thanks everyone! Anyone know why they chose 17 and not 18? They are still a dependent. And yes, they are very expensive at that age too!

oh ugh- this is the first I've heard about this (or else I heard it and promptly forgot it LOL)
UGH! My daughter will turn 17 mid-junior year in highschool! (she turned 15 in Jan)

Crazy isnt it. My oldest will 17 this year will one be a junior in HS this fall.

You would think it would be when they are out of hs.

For real......

I'm also with the other(s) that said we're still responsible for them- they are minors... they are dependents... so why in the world no child tax credit? They still consider them a CHILD at age 17! Geesh I guess I should be glad she turns 17 in Jan and not earlier. My son will turn 17 on a November- not sure if that means that year I won't get to claim the child tax credit for him that year. *sigh* I don't know about everyone else but I am finding they get MORE expensive as the years go by... not the opposite!

I think the reason for the cut-off is by age 17 they figure most kids are old enough to have an after-school or weekend job.

Sure.
A) kids can get jobs at a time even the parents can't? great logic they have there...
B) kids who do get jobs rarely help pay for their own bills. They MAY save for college and pay for LUXURIES like cars, gas, things they want to buy/want to do- but I would dare say there aren't many that are working to pay for a roof over their head, utilities, food, etc. Guess who pays that? Well ofcourse the parents- because that's still their CHILD. (yes emphasis on child- until they say 17 is legal adult age!)

 

[Jennifer823]

My oldest will be 17 this year too. So happy the gov't thinks she can support herself now. Didn't Obama promise to end the Bush tax cuts (of which this credit is one?) Is it staying for 2009?

 

[mominwestlake]

My oldest will be 17 this year too. So happy the gov't thinks she can support herself now. Didn't Obama promise to end the Bush tax cuts (of which this credit is one?) Is it staying for 2009?

Good point. We should be glad we have it for any of our children. I think Obama might get a lot of complaints if he took it away now.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Don't confuse the Child Tax Credit with the ability to claim your 17yo as a dependent on your taxes. They are two separate deductions.

 

[taximomfor4]

i believe that IF the child goes to college the state can determine that child support be paid until age 21... but i am not 100% sure

Not here in Ohio. Everyone in Ohio that I talked to last night, (who I know well enough to ask about their child support orders) has the same concern as I do. Child support will stop before college. Bummer. I did ask my mom, and she looked ahead. When she divorced my stepdad, she had them ADD it to her divorce decree...that child support would continue if dd went to college, but only till age 21.

 

[Free4Life11]

My oldest will be 17 this year too. So happy the gov't thinks she can support herself now. Didn't Obama promise to end the Bush tax cuts (of which this credit is one?) Is it staying for 2009?

The credit is currently $1000 per child. When the Bush Tax Cuts expire in 2010, the credit will decrease to $500 per child, unless Congress extends it. But with trillion dollar budget deficits, I personally wouldn't count on them extending it.

 

[klmorg]

I think it is absolutly ridiculous! My DD is 17...still living under my roof...a junior in HS and everything from her high school ring to junior prom dress are more things than I have ever had to pay for before..not to mention the extra gas money now that she drives!! SO the government decides that I no longer qualify to have her as a tax credit??!! Ridiculous.....

At least we are still going to Disney!!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I think it is absolutly ridiculous! My DD is 17...still living under my roof...a junior in HS and everything from her high school ring to junior prom dress are more things than I have ever had to pay for before..not to mention the extra gas money now that she drives!! SO the government decides that I no longer qualify to have her as a tax credit??!! Ridiculous.....

At least we are still going to Disney!!

Again, that's why you can still claim her as a dependent on your taxes. Just like Disney decides that a 10yo pays the adult price for meals and tickets, the federal government has decided what age the cut-off is for this tax credit.

And look at it this way, the Child Tax Credit is means-tested. If you make too much money, you can't claim the credit regardless of your child's age.

 

[eandt]

We were too about not getting the credit when our son turned 17 ON THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR! After we got over the initial reaction we thought back to that day 17 yrs prior when our "little deduction" made his debut on the last day of 1990 allowing us to claim him as a dependant for the entire year! We are still ahead of the game! He at least came on that day naturally on his due date, you would not believe how many other mothers were being induced at the large city women's hospital we were at just to gain the deduction! Amazing!