Tax practitioners should remind clients with children and other dependents to use the Withholding Calculator at IRS.gov to do a “paycheck checkup.” Changes made by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect 2018 returns that taxpayers will file in 2019.

The law expanded and made significant changes to the Child Tax Credit. It also suspended the deduction for personal exemptions. Parents and caregivers should do a “paycheck checkup” to determine how these changes could affect their 2018 tax situation.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

• Raises the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000.
• Offers the Additional Child Tax Credit for certain individuals who cannot receive the full amount of the Child Tax Credit. The Additional Child Tax Credit is up to $1,400 of the Child Tax Credit and is refundable for each qualifying child. A refundable credit may give taxpayers a refund even if they don’t owe any tax.
• Changes phase-outs for the Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. These credits now begin to phase out at $400,000 for couples and $200,000 for singles, compared with 2017 amounts of $110,000 for couples and $75,000 for singles.
• Adds a new credit. Dependents who can’t be claimed for the Child Tax Credit may still qualify taxpayers for the Credit for Other Dependents. This is a credit of up to $500 per qualifying person. The phase-out amounts of the Child Tax Credit apply to this credit. 

Taxpayers can use the IRS’s Interactive Tax Assistant to see if they’re eligible to claim the Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents. For more information about these credits, visit Steps to Take Now to Get a Jump on Next Year’s Taxes on IRS.gov.