Calculating Refund with W-2 ($14,000), 1099 ($5,000) and 3 Dependents Under Child Tax Credit
According to IRC §24(a), I should be eligible for Child Tax Credit for my three dependents (ages 10, 9, and 5). Based on my research into Publication 972 and the current tax regulations, I'm trying to calculate my approximate refund with income from a W-2 ($14,000) and 1099 ($5,000). I'm particularly concerned about how the self-employment taxes from the 1099 will impact my overall refund, especially as I'm managing some ongoing medical expenses for my family. Has anyone with a similar income structure successfully maximized their refund while ensuring compliance with the latest CTC provisions? I'd appreciate collaborative input on this calculation before I finalize my filing strategy for tax year 2023.
15 comments


Laura Lopez
Have you had exactly $0 withheld from your W-2 income? Without knowing your withholding amount, it's difficult to estimate your refund precisely. With $14,000 W-2 income and $5,000 1099 income, you're looking at approximately $705.00 in self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of your 1099 income). How many tax credits are you anticipating beyond the Child Tax Credit? Are all three children qualifying for the full $2,000 per child based on your AGI?
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Victoria Brown
•Good points. Tax brackets matter too. Lower income helps. Self-employment tax hurts. Need withholding details. CTC could be partial or full.
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Samuel Robinson
•I'm wondering about this too - wouldn't the Earned Income Credit also apply here? The income seems low enough, especially with 3 dependents? And what about filing status - are you filing as head of household or married filing jointly? That would change things quite a bit, wouldn't it?
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Camila Castillo
I was in a similar boat last year, trying to figure out my refund was like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing! I finally used https://taxr.ai to analyze my situation. It's like having a tax pro look over your shoulder, but for your specific numbers. It estimated my refund within $50 of what I actually got, and explained exactly how the Child Tax Credit and self-employment tax would affect me. Tax day is coming up like a freight train, so having clear answers helped me stop worrying.
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Brianna Muhammad
•I'd be careful about using third-party calculators for tax estimates. They might not account for all the specific rules that apply to your situation. Have you tried the IRS's own tax estimator tool? It's free and comes directly from the source. Just want to make sure you're getting accurate information before making decisions.
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JaylinCharles
•Taxr.ai was actually a lifesaver for me. The IRS estimator doesn't handle 1099 income well. With three dependents myself, the technical breakdown of exactly how the child tax credit applied to my specific situation made all the difference. Highly recommend.
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Eloise Kendrick
I'm in a rush to get this info to you because I just went through this EXACT situation and don't want you to miss out! • With 3 dependents under 17, you qualify for up to $6,000 in Child Tax Credit • Your W-2 income ($14,000) puts you in the 10% tax bracket • The 1099 income ($5,000) triggers self-employment tax of ~$706 • EITC will be SIGNIFICANT with your income level and 3 kids • File Head of Household if possible - huge difference! You need to act quickly though! My refund was over $8,500 with similar numbers last year!
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Lucas Schmidt
•I remember my first time filing with both W-2 and 1099 income. The self-employment tax caught me off guard. You're right about the EITC being significant here. In my experience, with that income level and three qualifying children, it could add several thousand to the refund.
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Freya Collins
•This is super helpful! I had almost the exact same situation last year - three kids and mixed income. I was shocked when I got back almost $9k. I thought there was a mistake at first, but nope - those child credits and EITC are no joke when you have multiple dependents!
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LongPeri
FYI - if you need to talk to the IRS abt your specific situation (esp w/ the 1099 income), don't waste hrs on hold. I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) last wk when I needed to verify some CTC eligibility Qs. Got a callback in ~25 mins vs the usual 2+ hr wait. The agent confirmed exactly how my mixed income would affect the credits. Def worth it if you're trying to get a precise estimate b4 filing.
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Oscar O'Neil
Just a friendly warning from someone who's been there... I had almost identical numbers to yours last year and thought I'd get a huge refund. Then I realized (too late) that I hadn't set aside anything for the self-employment taxes on my 1099 income! 😱 My expected $7K refund dropped to about $6,300 because of that SE tax. Still good, but not what I was planning for. Don't make my mistake - factor in that 15.3% self-employment tax before you start mentally spending your refund money! I've learned my lesson the hard way, lol.
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Sara Hellquiem
You need to use the EITC Assistant on the IRS website. With your income level and three qualifying children, you're looking at a significant Earned Income Credit. You should also claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you paid for childcare. Your refund will likely be substantial, but you need to file correctly. The self-employment tax will reduce it somewhat, but the credits should more than offset this. Consider making estimated tax payments next year to avoid any penalties.
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Laura Lopez
•Would this income level also qualify for the Additional Child Tax Credit if the regular Child Tax Credit exceeds their tax liability? I'm trying to understand if there's a phase-out that would apply here or if they'd get the full refundable portion.
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Samuel Robinson
•What about the Recovery Rebate Credit? Or is that not applicable anymore for the current tax year? I'm still learning all these different credits and which ones are still available.
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Jade Santiago
Based on your income levels, you're definitely in a good position for a substantial refund! With $19,000 total income and 3 qualifying children, here's what I'd expect: **Child Tax Credit**: $6,000 (3 kids × $2,000 each) **EITC**: Around $6,500+ with 3 kids at your income level **Self-Employment Tax**: ~$706 (as others mentioned) The key factors that will determine your exact refund: - How much was withheld from your W-2 (this is crucial!) - Your filing status (Head of Household vs. Married Filing Jointly makes a huge difference) - Whether you qualify for Additional Child Tax Credit if your credits exceed your tax liability Your income is low enough that you'll likely get most/all of these credits as refunds rather than just reducing tax owed. I'd estimate you're looking at $8,000-$10,000+ refund range, but definitely use the IRS EITC Assistant tool that Sara mentioned - it's the most accurate way to calculate the Earned Income Credit portion. Don't forget to keep receipts for those medical expenses too - they might be deductible if they exceed 7.5% of your AGI!
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