3,600 Child Tax Credit in 2025? Here’s the Truth No One’s Telling You

If you ve seen articles or TikToks talking about a Child Tax Credit in you re seemingly wondering if you re missing out It sounds amazing right But here s the truth that number isn t real for this year It s old news being passed around as if it s current Let s walk through what s definitely happening in what s still available who can get it and what kind of help you can expect if you re raising kids right now First Things First Is There a Credit This Year Nope Not in That credit was part of a temporary boost during COVID under the American Rescue Plan back in It gave families for kids under for kids to It was a big help but it ended after that year Lawmakers have talked about bringing it back but so far nothing s been approved So What s the Real Child Tax Credit in Here s what s still available when you file taxes for which you ll do in early Up to per child under age And if you don t owe that much in taxes you could still get up to refunded as cash back this part is called the Additional Child Tax Credit ACTC Not but still a decent chunk of money when you re raising kids Who Qualifies Here s what you need to know to qualify for the credit Your child must be under by the end of the year They must have lived with you for more than half the year They can t have paid more than half their own expenses They must be your biological child stepchild foster child sibling or a descendant like a grandchild or niece nephew They must be a U S citizen or resident with a valid Social Defense number Your income matters too If you re single the credit starts shrinking if you make over For married couples filing jointly the limit is Will the IRS Send Monthly Checks Again Sadly no Those monthly payments we got in That was just a one-time COVID relief measure There are no monthly payments in If you re eligible you ll get your credit when you file your taxes that s it When Will You Certainly See That Money If you qualify for the refundable portion up to you ll still have to wait a bit The IRS can t release those refunds until mid-February it s a fraud protection law If you file early and do direct deposit you ll maybe see your money around March Watch Out for Misinformation A lot of websites and social posts are still saying the credit is back but they re just reusing old info from It s not true in If you want real answers consistently double-check with the IRS website or trusted tax support Raising kids is expensive no surprise there While the Child Tax Credit isn t as big as it was during the pandemic the credit and up to in refunds can still be a nice boost during tax season