
As a U.S. expat parent, you can claim The Child Tax Credit available for individuals with a qualifying child. A tax credit is better and more valuable than a deduction. Are you wondering why? Because it creates a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax bill as a subtraction from actual taxes you owe. Another advantage of Child Tax Credit is a refund. It means you can get your money back and not just a subtraction of taxes owed. The story of CTC starts back in 1998 when it was introduced as a small non-refundable credit of 400 USD. Read further to learn what CTC is in 2019 and who can benefit from it.
What are the changes to the Child Tax Credit in 2018-2019?
Tax Cuts and Jobs act introduced a few important changes to the Child Tax Credit in 2018-2019. Generally speaking, Uncle Sam has been generous to taxpayers who have children and have U.S. tax filing obligation. Trump’s tax reform actually sort of merged Child Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit. It also decreased the earned income threshold and even introduced new credit for other dependents.