Child Tax Credit 2026: The New $2,200-Per-Child Amount, Explained

By the Between the News desk · researched with AI tools, checked and edited by a human editor

$2,200 per qualifying child (up from $2,000)Up to $1,700 refundable via ACTCPhases out above $200K single / $400K jointParent needs a valid SSN, not just an ITINSource: IRS + One Big Beautiful Bill Act provisions

👁Decoded

The Child Tax Credit is worth more starting with the 2026 tax year. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the credit rose to $2,200 per qualifying child under age 17, up from $2,000 — and starting in 2026, that amount is indexed to inflation, so it can keep climbing in future years without Congress passing a new law.

Not all of it is guaranteed as a refund. Up to $1,700 per child is refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit, meaning you can receive that portion even if you owe no federal income tax. The remaining amount only offsets tax you actually owe.

The credit phases out for higher earners: it starts shrinking once income passes $200,000 for single filers or $400,000 for married couples filing jointly, and those thresholds carry over unchanged from 2025 into 2026.

One eligibility rule trips people up: to claim the refundable ACTC portion, at least one parent or guardian filing the return must have a work-eligible Social Security Number — an ITIN alone doesn't qualify for that piece. The qualifying child also needs a valid SSN of their own.

This credit applies to income earned in 2026, which means most families will actually see it reflected on the tax return they file in early 2027, not the one due this April.

“The credit itself grows with inflation now — no new law required for it to rise again next year.”