Taxpayers with dependents who don’t qualify for the child tax credit may be able to claim the credit for other dependents. This is a non-refundable credit. It can reduce or, in some cases, eliminate a tax bill but, the IRS cannot refund the taxpayer any portion of the credit that may be left over.
The maximum credit amount is $500 for each dependent who meets certain conditions. These include:
- Dependents who are age 17 or older.
- Dependents who have individual taxpayer identification numbers.
- Dependent parents or other qualifying relatives supported by the taxpayer.
- Dependents living with the taxpayer who aren’t related to the taxpayer.
The credit begins to phase out when the taxpayer’s income is more than $200,000. This phaseout begins for married couples filing a joint tax return at $400,000.
A taxpayer can claim this credit if:
- They claim the person as a dependent on the taxpayer’s return.
- They cannot use the dependent to claim the child tax credit or additional child tax credit.
- The dependent is a U.S. citizen, national or resident alien.