Tax Refund Expectations with $100k Income and 3 Dependents - Will I Still Get Child Tax Credit?
Made 100k this year with 3 kids under 12. Previous years I got around 12k back with lower income. Anyone in similar income bracket still getting decent refunds with dependents? Getting nervous about possibly owing instead of my usual refund.
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Ben Cooper
Tax professional here. Your refund amount depends on several factors, not just income. With 3 qualifying children, you're still eligible for Child Tax Credit ($2000 per child) and possibly Additional Child Tax Credit. Also matters if you're single/married and your withholding through the year. Don't panic - plenty of families in 100k range still get refunds.
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Khalid Howes
•Thanks! Do you know the income limit cutoff for child tax credit?
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Ben Cooper
•CTC starts phasing out at $200k for single, $400k married filing jointly. Your 100k is well under the limit 👍
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Naila Gordon
•Im at 115k with 2 kids and got back 8k this year fyi
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Cynthia Love
Hey instead of guessing, you should try taxr.ai - it analyzes your past transcripts and can predict your refund amount based on your specific situation. It costs $4.99 but totally worth avoiding the stress. I used it last week and it was spot on!
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Darren Brooks
•fr? how accurate was it? seems too good to be true ngl 🤔
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Cynthia Love
•Dead serious! It broke down everything - all my credits, deductions, even caught a mistake in my withholding that woulda cost me $$$. Best 5 bucks I ever spent frfr
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Darren Brooks
•just tried it and holy cow 🤯 wish I knew about this sooner! It literally predicted my refund down to the dollar!
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Rosie Harper
in the same boat! made 98k this year w/ 2 kids and stressed about it. following for answers
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Elliott luviBorBatman
Bruh tax bracket aint everything. Did u adjust ur w4 when u got the raise? That makes a HUGE difference
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Khalid Howes
•ngl totally forgot about that 💀
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Demi Hall
Made 112k last year, 3 kids, got back 9k. U should be fine as long as ur withholding is right
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Mateusius Townsend
•This gives me hope fr
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Kara Yoshida
lmaooo imagine worrying about making TOO MUCH money 🤑 but fr tho check ur withholding
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Brooklyn Foley
Don't stress too much! At $100k with 3 kids, you're still in a good spot for refunds. The Child Tax Credit alone gets you $6k ($2k per kid), plus you might qualify for Additional Child Tax Credit if your tax liability is lower than the credits. I'd suggest running a quick tax calculator online or checking what your federal withholding has been throughout the year - that's usually the biggest factor in refund size. You're likely still getting money back!
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Kylo Ren
•This is super helpful! I didn't realize the Additional Child Tax Credit was separate from the regular CTC. Is there an income limit for the additional one too, or is it just based on tax liability?
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Sasha Ivanov
•The Additional Child Tax Credit doesn't have separate income limits - it's actually designed to help lower-income families get the full benefit even if they don't owe enough tax. If your tax liability is less than the total CTC you qualify for, the ACTC can give you the difference as a refund (up to $1,600 per child). So at $100k with 3 kids, you'd likely get the full $6k in credits one way or another!
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Dylan Wright
Same situation here! Made $105k with 3 kids and was super worried too. Just filed and got back $8,200. The child tax credit really helps - you get $2k per kid which is $6k right there. Plus depending on your withholding throughout the year you might get even more back. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! The jump to $100k income bracket isn't as scary as people make it seem when you have dependents.
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Freya Thomsen
•That's such a relief to hear! $8,200 sounds amazing. I've been losing sleep over this tbh. Did you change your withholding at all when you got the income bump, or did you just let it ride? I'm kicking myself because I think I might have been under-withholding all year 😅
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Aaliyah Jackson
•I actually didn't change my withholding at all when I got the raise - just kept the same W-4 from when I was making less. Honestly that probably worked in my favor because I was still having taxes withheld like I was in a lower bracket for part of the year. If you were under-withholding you might owe a bit, but with 3 kids that $6k in child tax credits should still cover you! Worst case you break even, best case you still get something back 🤞
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Miguel Ramos
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been stressed about this for weeks. Quick question - when you say you got back $8,200, was that your total refund or just from the child tax credits? Trying to set realistic expectations for myself. Also wondering if filing status matters much (I'm single) compared to if you're married filing jointly?
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Ryan Andre
•That $8,200 was my total refund! About $6k was from the child tax credits and the rest came from federal withholding throughout the year. Being single vs married filing jointly does make a difference - the tax brackets are different and you might hit higher rates sooner as a single filer, but honestly with 3 kids the child tax credits are gonna be your saving grace either way. You're probably gonna be fine!
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Oliver Zimmermann
Made $98k this year with 2 kids (ages 8 and 10) and was having the same anxiety! Just got my refund estimate and it's $7,400. The Child Tax Credit is definitely your friend here - that's $6k guaranteed with your 3 kids. Plus if you've been having taxes withheld all year like you did at lower income, you're probably in good shape. I wouldn't stress too much about hitting that $100k mark, especially with dependents. The tax brackets aren't as scary as they seem when you factor in all the credits you qualify for!
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Beth Ford
•Wow, this is so reassuring! I'm new to this whole tax thing at this income level and was honestly panicking. $7,400 sounds amazing - that's way better than I was expecting. I keep hearing horror stories about people suddenly owing money when they hit six figures, but it sounds like having kids really changes the game. Thanks for sharing your actual numbers, it really helps calm my nerves! 😅
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