Your 17-year-old aged out of the Child Tax Credit the moment they turned 17, but several other federal tax credits for a 17-year-old are still on the table. The automatic replacement is the $500 Credit for Other Dependents. Depending on your income and your teen’s situation, the Earned Income Tax Credit or an education credit may be worth substantially more.
Why the Child Tax Credit No Longer Applies
The CTC has a hard age cutoff. To qualify, a child must be under 17 at the end of the tax year, so a child who turned 17 at any point during the year is out. That closes off both the non-refundable portion (up to $2,200 per child in 2026) and the refundable Additional Child Tax Credit (up to $1,700).1Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit For families who have been claiming the CTC for years, that’s a real drop in refund size.
The $500 Credit for Other Dependents
The Credit for Other Dependents is the direct fallback. It’s worth up to $500 for any qualifying child or relative who doesn’t meet the CTC age requirement.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding the Credit for Other Dependents
Two things to know. First, it’s entirely non-refundable, so it can wipe out tax you owe but won’t generate a refund on its own.3Internal Revenue Service. Parents – Check Eligibility for the Credit for Other Dependents If your tax bill is already low, some of the $500 goes unused. Second, there’s no separate application. You claim it on Schedule 8812, the same form used for the CTC, and your dependent needs either a Social Security number or an ITIN.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) (2025)
The ODC uses the same income phase-out as the CTC. It begins shrinking once modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 (single) or $400,000 (joint), losing $50 for every $1,000 over the threshold.1Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit The $500 credit disappears entirely $10,000 above the threshold.
The Earned Income Tax Credit Still Counts a 17-Year-Old
This is where many families miss real money. A 17-year-old is still a qualifying child for the EITC, because the EITC uses a higher age cutoff: under 19 at the end of the tax year, not under 17.5Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules
For 2026, the maximum EITC with one qualifying child is $4,427. It’s fully refundable, so it can produce a refund even if you owe no tax. The credit targets low- and moderate-income households, though. With one qualifying child, adjusted gross income cannot exceed $51,593 for single or head of household filers, or $58,863 for joint filers. If you have additional qualifying children under 19, the credit scales up (with up to three counted).
Your 17-year-old has to meet the EITC qualifying child tests: relationship to you, more than half the year living with you in the United States, no joint return (unless only to claim a refund), and a valid Social Security number.5Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules
Education Credits If Your Teen Is Taking College Courses
Most 17-year-olds are still in high school, and education credits don’t apply to high school coursework. But if your teen has started college early, is dual-enrolled, or graduated and moved into post-secondary classes, two credits open up.
American Opportunity Tax Credit
The AOTC is worth up to $2,500 per eligible student, and 40% of it (up to $1,000) is refundable.6Internal Revenue Service. American Opportunity Tax Credit Your child must be pursuing a degree or recognized credential at an eligible institution and enrolled at least half-time for at least one academic period during the year. It phases out between $80,000 and $90,000 MAGI for single filers, and between $160,000 and $180,000 for joint filers. You’ll generally need Form 1098-T from the school to claim it.7Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 8863 – Education Credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credits)
Lifetime Learning Credit
The LLC is worth up to $2,000 per return (not per student), calculated as 20% of the first $10,000 in qualified education expenses.8Internal Revenue Service. Lifetime Learning Credit It’s non-refundable and has no half-time enrollment requirement, so it works for a lighter course load or a single class. The phase-out ranges match the AOTC.
You cannot claim both credits for the same student in the same year. Both are reported on Form 8863.9Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8863, Education Credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credits)
Your Teen Still Has to Qualify as a Dependent
Every credit here depends on your ability to claim your 17-year-old as a qualifying child. Four tests apply:10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 501 (2025), Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information
- Relationship: your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or a descendant of any of these.
- Residency: lived with you more than half the tax year.
- Support: the child did not provide more than half of their own support.
- Joint return: the child did not file jointly, except to claim a refund of withheld taxes.
The support test is the one that catches families with older teens. A 17-year-old working a part-time or full-time job may start covering a real share of their own costs. If earnings and savings pay for more than half of total support (housing, food, clothing, medical care, education), you can’t claim them as a dependent, and every credit above goes with the dependency.10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 501 (2025), Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information
When Your 17-Year-Old Files Their Own Return
Your teen can file their own return without knocking themselves off yours, as long as they don’t claim a personal exemption and don’t file jointly with a spouse. Filing is often worth it: if an employer withheld tax from a paycheck, filing is the only way to get that money back.
Filing may also be required. Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) above $2,700 can be subject to the kiddie tax and reported on Form 8615.11Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 553, Tax on a Childs Investment and Other Unearned Income (Kiddie Tax) If the child’s only income is interest and dividends totaling less than $13,500, you can elect to report it on your own return instead. Earned income above the dependent’s standard deduction also triggers a filing requirement.