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Best answer by Hal_Al

The money you hear about people getting for just filing a tax return claiming kids requires them to  have some earned income (wages or self employment). Without earned income, they are not eligible for the "refundable" Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit. 


A child can be the “qualifying child” dependent of any close relative in the household. If you live with someone else, e.g. your parents, it may be better if they claim your child.


4 replies

Employee
June 1, 2019
Did you have any earned income and what ages are the kids?   Provide that info and someone familiar with that topic should be able to comment.
Employee
June 1, 2019
 Did you already efile your return, or is it still in preparation?    Did you enter your W-2 income and any other earned income (if applicable)?

Also for the 4 month old, when entering dependent info, be sure you indicate that the 4-month-old child lived with you  the "whole year".   When a baby is born during 2017, one can answer "whole year", and the screen will even say to do that.     I don't know what year your 1-year-old was born in, but I suspect it was before 2017.
cnetha01Author
June 1, 2019
I work at Subway. And they are 1 and 4 Months. Can I go to a specialist to redo it?
Hal_Al
Hal_AlAnswer
Employee
June 1, 2019

The money you hear about people getting for just filing a tax return claiming kids requires them to  have some earned income (wages or self employment). Without earned income, they are not eligible for the "refundable" Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit. 


A child can be the “qualifying child” dependent of any close relative in the household. If you live with someone else, e.g. your parents, it may be better if they claim your child.