Tax Tip 2008-45, Claiming the Child Tax Credit

This is archived information that pertains only to the 2007 Tax Year. If you
are looking for information for the current tax year, go to the Tax Prep Help Area.

With the Child Tax Credit, you may be able to reduce the federal income tax you owe by up to $1,000 for each qualifying child under the age of 17.

A qualifying child for this credit is someone who meets the following criteria:
� Age - Was under age 17 at the end of 2007
� Relationship - Is your son, daughter, adopted child, stepchild or eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of these individuals
� Citizenship - Is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or resident of the U.S.
� Support - Did not provide over half of his or her own support, and
� Lived with you - Must have lived with you for more than half of 2007 (note that some exceptions to this criteria exist)

The credit is limited if your modified adjusted gross income is above a certain amount. The amount at which this phase-out begins varies depending on your filing status:
� Married Filing Jointly $110,000
� Married Filing Separately $ 55,000
� All others $ 75,000

In addition, the Child Tax Credit is generally limited by the amount of the income tax you owe as well as any alternative minimum tax you owe.

If the amount of your Child Tax Credit is greater than the amount of income tax you owe, you may be able to claim some or all of the difference as an �Additional� Child Tax Credit. The Additional Child Tax Credit may give you a refund even if you do not owe any tax. For 2007, the total amount of the Child Tax Credit and any Additional Child Tax Credit cannot exceed the maximum of $1,000 for each qualifying child.

You may claim the Child Tax Credit on Form 1040 or 1040A. Details on how to compute the credit can be found in the forms� instructions and in Publication 972, Child Tax Credit. The forms and publications are available from the IRS Web site at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is www.irs.gov.