Taxes-child credit

[LadyBeBop]

At 17 you still get the child tax credit....if they turn 18 during the tax year even if it's Dec 31 (like our son) you can not collect the child tax credit....agree 18 is when they really become expensive but there is some other help in the tax code for college expenses so it even out..... I guess...

Our taxes took a hit when my daughters turned 17. Too old for the child tax credit, but too young for the education credits we received when they entered college at 18.

OP, another thing I thought of. Did you prepare your own return? If so, did you check the box next to your child's name..the box stating he is eligible for the child tax credit? The credit won't compute with the box not checked.

Did you use tax software last year? Unless you input something incorrectly (like your child's birthday), I cannot imagine tax software not giving you the child tax credit.

 

[eandt]

Yeah 17 is probably correct, I just know we got screwed with our son's birthday being Dec 31......... guess they got us back from the deduction we were able to take the year he was born....... oh well

 

[ilovemk76]

Get a live person to look at tour 2011 return. If you made a mistake you can file a Form 1040-X to amend the 2011 return. If you used Block's online service, take it to a Block office (if you trust them) and they should not charge you for this.

If there is a fee to redo your returns, find out what it is and compare it to the amount you think you will get back. Then decide if it is worth paying a person to do this for you.

 

[ToodlesRN]

I've noticed when I use turbo tax it doesn't automatically put my 2nd child as qualifying child therefore it shorts the deduction. What I have to do is click the form in the left hand corner and it takes me to the paper version I then check the box and it asks how many months the child lived with you I put 12 then it generates the qualifying child box and my refund goes up when I switch back to the other format. It's strange that it does this I caught this last year and it did it again this year. Check your last years and see if that box is marked for qualifying child.