Child Tax Credit for More Than 3 Dependents - Filing After Divorce

Yes, you can claim Child Tax Credit for all qualifying dependents. No arbitrary limit at 3. Each child under 17 qualifies separately. Maximum credit is $2,000 per qualifying child for 2023. Phaseout begins at $200,000 for single/HOH filers. Divorce doesn't affect eligibility. Custodial parent typically claims the children. Worth checking your divorce decree for specific agreements.

Are you sure you're calculating everything correctly? My divorce was finalized last year and figuring out who claims which kid was a nightmare. Did your divorce decree specify who gets to claim each child? That overrides the IRS's usual rule about the custodial parent getting the claims.

I went through something similar last year, and I was probably just as confused as you might be feeling right now. I spent days trying to reach the IRS for clarification about dependent claims after my separation. It was nearly impossible until someone suggested I try Claimyr.com. I was honestly a bit skeptical, but they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 30 minutes who confirmed I could claim all my qualifying children. Saved me so much stress, especially since I was sort of worried about potential audit issues with my ex possibly trying to claim the same kids. You might want to check them out if you need definitive answers: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

I claimed all 5 of my kids last year with no problems! The system is designed for families of all sizes. Each qualifying child gets the same credit amount regardless of how many you have. I was so happy when my refund came through with the full amount for each child. Made a huge difference for us financially! Just make sure you have all their SSNs and that no one else (like your ex) is claiming them too.

I don't think that's entirely right. The Child Tax Credit has income phase-outs that can reduce what you get, especially with multiple kids. And if your divorce agreement says your ex gets to claim some of the kids, you can't just claim them all because you want to. Trust me, I learned this the hard way... got a lovely letter from the IRS six months later. 😑 Not fun explaining THAT to my ex.

It's more nuanced than some are suggesting. Unlike the Earned Income Credit which has different tiers based on number of children (topping out at 3+), the Child Tax Credit truly does apply separately to each qualifying child. I've compared this to other countries' systems where benefits often diminish after a certain number of children, but the US CTC doesn't work that way. Each qualifying child under 17 can receive up to the full amount, subject only to your income phase-out limits. Just be absolutely certain you're entitled to claim each child based on your divorce decree - that's where most post-divorce tax issues arise.