Will You Get $3,600 Per Child in 2025? Here’s What’s Really Happening

If you’re a parent hoping for a bigger tax break in 2025, you might have heard talk about a $3,600 Child Tax Credit (CTC). But is it really happening? As of now, the official Child Tax Credit remains at $2,000 per child—though lawmakers are still debating whether to increase it.

Here’s what you need to know about the CTC for 2025, including who qualifies, how much you can get, and whether there’s a chance the $3,600 payments will return.

What’s the Current Child Tax Credit for 2025?

Right now, the Child Tax Credit for the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) is set at $2,000 per child under 17. That’s the same amount as in previous years, except for the one-time expansion in 2021 when it went up to $3,600 per child under 6 and $3,000 for kids aged 6-17.

The good news? Up to $1,700 of the credit is refundable, which means you can still get money back even if you don’t owe taxes.

The not-so-great news? Congress has not yet approved a plan to bring back the higher $3,600 payments that many families received in 2021.

Who Qualifies for the 2025 Child Tax Credit?

To get the $2,000 per child credit, you must meet these requirements:

• Your child must be under 17 at the end of 2025.
• They must be your dependent (biological child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, grandchild, niece, or nephew).
• The child must have lived with you for at least six months in 2025.
• Your household income must be under $400,000 (married couples) or $200,000 (single filers). If you make more, the credit starts to phase out.
• Your child must be a U.S. citizen or resident with a valid Social Security number.

If you qualify, the credit will reduce your tax bill dollar for dollar—and if you owe nothing, you could still get a refund of up to $1,700 per child.

Will the Child Tax Credit Increase to $3,600?

There’s a lot of talk in Washington about raising the CTC again, but nothing has been officially approved yet.

• Some Democratic leaders want to bring back the $3,600 credit for young kids and $3,000 for older kids.
• Some Republican lawmakers have suggested boosting the credit even higher—to $5,000 per child.
• There’s also a proposal to increase the credit to $6,000 for families with infants.

For now, these are just ideas being debated in Congress. If a new plan is approved, it could mean bigger tax refunds for families in 2025.

How to Claim the Child Tax Credit

When tax season comes around in 2026, here’s how to claim the credit:

1. File Your Tax Return – Use Form 1040 and attach Schedule 8812 (which calculates your credit).
2. Make Sure Your Child Has a Social Security Number – The IRS won’t allow the credit for children without one.
3. Check If You Qualify for the Refundable Portion – If your income is low, you might get up to $1,700 per child as a cash refund.
4. File Early to Get Your Refund Faster – The IRS usually issues refunds within 21 days if you file electronically.