IRS · Official form

Schedule 8812 (Form 1040), Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents

Schedule 8812 figures the child tax credit, the credit for other dependents, and any additional child tax credit. Fill in the official IRS PDF below and download it.

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What is Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)?

Schedule 8812 (Form 1040), Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents, is the worksheet-style schedule that calculates the child tax credit (CTC) and the credit for other dependents (ODC), applying the income-based phaseout to your specific situation.

It also figures the additional child tax credit (ACTC), the refundable portion available when the regular credit exceeds the tax you owe. The results carry to Form 1040, and the dependents themselves must already be listed on the front of your return.

Who files Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)?

Parents claiming the child tax credit for qualifying children with valid Social Security numbers
Taxpayers claiming the credit for other dependents, such as older children or supported relatives
Filers whose credit exceeds their tax and who may qualify for the refundable additional child tax credit
Anyone the Form 1040 instructions direct to Schedule 8812 to figure dependent credits

How to fill out Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)

Enter your name and Social Security number to match your Form 1040, and make sure each dependent is listed on the return with the correct credit box checked.
Work through Part I, entering your income figures and the number of qualifying children and other dependents.
Apply the phaseout calculation the schedule walks you through to arrive at your allowed credit.
If your credit is limited by your tax, continue to the additional child tax credit section to figure any refundable amount.
Carry the results to Form 1040, then download the finished PDF and file it with your return.

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Page 1 21 fields

Name(s) shown on return

Your social security number

Part I. Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents. 1. Enter the amount from line 11a of your Form 1040, 1040-S R, or 1040-N R.

2a. Enter income from Puerto Rico that you excluded.

2b. Enter the amounts from lines 45 and 50 of your Form 2555.

2c. Enter the amount from line 15 of your Form 4563.

2d. Add lines 2a through 2c.

3. Add lines 1 and 2d.

4. Number of qualifying children under age 17 with the required social security number.

5. Multiply line 4 by $2,200.

6. Number of other dependents, including any qualifying children who are not under age 17 or who do not have the required social security

7. Multiply line 6 by $500.

8. Add lines 5 and 7.

9. Enter the amount shown below for your filing status. Married filing jointly—$400,000. All other filing statuses—$200,000.

10. Subtract line 9 from line 3. If zero or less, enter 0. If more than zero and not a multiple of $1,000, enter the next multiple of

11. Multiply line 10 by 5% (0.05).

12. Is the amount on line 8 more than the amount on line 11?

12. No. Stop here. You cannot take the child tax credit, credit for other dependents, or additional child tax credit.

12. Yes. Subtract line 11 from line 8. Enter the result.

,lv13. Enter the amount from Credit Limit Worksheet A.

14. Enter the smaller of line 12 or line 13. This is your child tax credit and credit for other dependents. Enter this amount on Form 1040,

Page 2 19 fields

16a. Subtract line 14 from line 12. If zero, stop here; you cannot take the additional child tax credit.

Number of qualifying children under age 17 with the required social security number:

16b. Number of qualifying children under age 17 with the required social security number multiplied by $1,700. Enter the result. If zero;

17. Enter the smaller of line 16a or line 16b.

18a. Earned income (see instructions).

18b. Nontaxable combat pay (see instructions).

19. Is the amount on line 18a more than $2,500? No. Leave line 19 blank and enter 0 on line 20.

19. Yes. Subtract $2,500 from the amount on line 18a. Enter the result.

19. Amount.

20. Multiply the amount on line 19 by 15% (0.15) and enter the result.

20. Next. On line 16b, is the amount $5,100 or more? No. If you are a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico, go to line 21. Otherwise, skip

20. Yes. If line 20 is equal to or more than line 17, skip Part I I-B and enter the amount from line 17 on line 27. Otherwise, go to line

21. Withheld social security, Medicare, and Additional Medicare taxes from Form(s) W-2, boxes 4 and 6. If married filing jointly, include

22. Enter the total of the amounts from Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 15; Schedule 2 (Form 1040), line 5; Schedule 2 (Form 1040), line 6;

23. Add lines 21 and 22.

24. 1040 and 1040-S R filers: Enter the total of the amounts from Form 1040 or 1040-S R, line 27a, and Schedule 3 (Form 1040), line 11.

25. Subtract line 24 from line 23. If zero or less, enter 0.

26. Enter the larger of line 20 or line 25. Next, enter the smaller of line 17 or line 26 on line 27.

27. This is your additional child tax credit. Enter this amount on Form 1040, 1040-S R, or 1040-N R, line 28.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the CTC and the ACTC?

The child tax credit is nonrefundable, so it can only reduce the tax you owe. The additional child tax credit is the refundable portion: if the credit is worth more than your tax, the ACTC can pay part of the difference as a refund.

Can I claim a credit for a dependent who is not my child?

Possibly. The credit for other dependents covers dependents who do not qualify for the child tax credit, such as older children or qualifying relatives you support. Schedule 8812 figures both credits together.

Do credit amounts change from year to year?

They can. Credit amounts, refundability, and income phaseouts have changed several times in recent years, so always use the schedule and instructions for the tax year you are filing. Check irs.gov for the current version.

Schedule 8812 (Form 1040), Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents

What is Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)?

Who files Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)?

How to fill out Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)

Quick fill Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) on this page

Frequently asked questions

Related forms

Form 1040, US Individual Income Tax Return

Schedule EIC (Form 1040), Earned Income Credit

Form 8862, Information To Claim Certain Credits After Disallowance