Do I qualify for the child birth tax credit for my newborn? First-time parent needing help!

Hey everyone, I'm a bit lost when it comes to taxes this year. My wife and I welcomed our first baby in October, and I've heard there's some kind of child birth tax credit we might qualify for. I'm trying to figure out if we're eligible and how much we could potentially get back. Our combined income is around $78,000, and we both work full-time. My wife took 8 weeks of maternity leave (some paid, some unpaid), and I took 2 weeks off when the baby was born. We've been paying a ton for medical bills, baby supplies, and now childcare is eating up a huge chunk of our monthly budget. Can someone explain if there's a specific child birth tax credit? Or is it just the regular child tax credit? Do we qualify based on our income? And how do we claim it when we file? Really appreciate any help!

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18 comments

Justin Trejo

•8M

Congratulations on your new addition! I can help clarify this for you. There isn't actually a specific "child birth tax credit" by that exact name, but there are several tax benefits you likely qualify for with your new baby. The main one is the Child Tax Credit, which is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child for tax year 2024 (filing in 2025). With your income level of $78,000 combined, you should qualify for the full amount. Your child must have a Social Security Number and be under 17 years old, which obviously isn't an issue for your newborn! You may also qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you're paying for childcare while you both work. This is separate from the Child Tax Credit and helps offset childcare costs. Keep all receipts from your childcare provider.

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Justin Trejo

•8M

You'll claim the Child Tax Credit when you file your taxes by listing your child as a dependent on your tax return. It's not automatic - you need to provide your child's name, SSN, and relationship to you. Most tax software will walk you through this process with simple questions. No special proof of birth date is generally required during filing, but make sure you have your child's birth certificate and Social Security card in case of questions later. Since your baby was born in 2024, you'll claim the full credit amount even though they weren't with you the entire year - there's no prorating based on birth month.

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Alana Willis

•8M

When I had my daughter last year, I was so confused about all the tax credits too! I tried figuring it out on my own but kept getting different answers from friends and family. Then I found https://taxr.ai and it was seriously a game-changer. I uploaded my documents and it analyzed everything, then gave me a personalized report showing exactly which credits I qualified for with my new baby. It confirmed I was eligible for both the Child Tax Credit AND the Child and Dependent Care Credit since I was paying for daycare. It even found some medical expense deductions related to the birth that I had no idea about! The site explained everything in plain English instead of confusing tax jargon.

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Alana Willis

•8M

For complicated custody situations, yes it definitely helps! It asks specific questions about the custody arrangement and residence tests to determine who qualifies to claim the child. It explains the tiebreaker rules the IRS uses when both parents might be eligible. Your sister should try it - might save a lot of arguments. It's been super accurate in my experience. Unlike generic calculators, it analyzes your specific documents and situation. It doesn't directly connect with TurboTax, but it generates a detailed report you can reference while filing with any software. I used the report alongside TurboTax and caught several credits I would've missed otherwise.

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Sara Unger

•8M

I have to admit I was skeptical about taxr.ai when I first heard about it (as you can see from my comment above). But after struggling with figuring out which tax credits I qualified for with twins born last year, I decided to give it a try. Man, am I glad I did! The tool found over $5,400 in credits I qualified for - not just the basic Child Tax Credit, but also some medical expense deductions related to our complicated delivery that I had no idea were eligible. The report broke everything down step by step, showing exactly what forms I needed and where to enter everything. The best part was it explained how having October-born babies still qualified us for the full year's credit amount, which I was confused about before. Definitely using this again next year!

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Butch Sledgehammer

•8M

If you need to contact the IRS about any child tax credit questions (which I highly recommend before filing), don't waste your time sitting on hold for hours. I used https://claimyr.com and got through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I spent trying on my own last year. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I had questions about claiming my newborn who didn't have an SSN yet when I needed to file, and getting direct answers from the IRS saved me from making a mistake that could have delayed my refund. They confirmed exactly what I needed to do and what forms to submit. Totally worth it for the peace of mind.

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Butch Sledgehammer

•8M

It doesn't bypass the queue - it basically uses an automated system to wait on hold for you. When a real IRS agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly. It just saves you from having to sit there listening to hold music for hours. I was skeptical too at first, but it's legit. I actually spoke with a real IRS agent who answered my specific questions about claiming my newborn without an SSN yet. It's not providing tax advice itself - it's literally just getting you through to the real IRS faster than you could on your own. Made a huge difference when I was stressing about getting my filing right.

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Leslie Parker

•8M

I need to eat my words and apologize to Profile 18. After writing that skeptical comment above, I was still struggling to get answers about claiming my sister's kid who lives with me half the year. Got frustrated enough to try Claimyr despite my doubts. Not only did I get connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes, but they walked me through the entire "qualifying child" test and confirmed I was eligible to claim the Child Tax Credit in my situation. The agent even emailed me the specific publication with the relevant sections highlighted. This saved me from potentially making a $2,000 mistake on my taxes. Sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong, and I was definitely wrong about this service!

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Sergio Neal

•8M

Don't forget about the Earned Income Tax Credit too! If your income is below certain thresholds, you might qualify for this on top of the Child Tax Credit. For 2024 taxes (filing in 2025), a married couple with one child can earn up to about $53,120 and still get some EITC benefit. It phases out gradually as income increases. With your combined income of $78,000, you're probably over the limit, but if one of you took unpaid leave that reduced your annual income, it might be worth checking. The EITC can be worth up to $3,995 with one child for 2024.

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Sergio Neal

•8M

You might still qualify for the child and dependent care credit I mentioned earlier if you're paying for childcare. Also look into whether you can deduct any medical expenses related to the birth - if your total medical expenses for the year exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can deduct the amount over that threshold if you itemize deductions. Some employers also offer dependent care FSAs which let you set aside pre-tax money for childcare expenses. It's too late for 2024, but something to consider for 2025. And start looking into 529 college savings plans - there's no federal tax deduction for contributions, but earnings grow tax-free when used for education expenses.

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