Key Takeaways
- 15 states pay their own child tax credit for 2026, and Rhode Island adds one in 2027.
- Minnesota pays the most: $1,800 per child under 18, and it's fully refundable.
- 11 state credits are refundable, so families with little or no tax still get paid.
- Most state credits target young children, often under 6, and lower or middle incomes.
The federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) is $2,200 per child for 2026, rising to $2,300 for 2027. If you live in the right state, that isn’t the only child credit on your return. Fifteen states pay their own child tax credit for the 2026 tax year, the return you file in early 2027.
Rhode Island becomes the 16th state in 2027 with a new $330 credit. Idaho went the other way: its $205 credit ended after 2025. DC passed a $1,000 credit for 2026, but Congress overturned that law in February 2026, so I don’t count it here.
The state credits vary a lot. Some pay more than $1,000 per child, some are under $150, and some only cover kids under 6. Below is every state’s credit in one table, what changed for 2026, and the mistakes I see families make claiming them.
State Child Tax Credits for the 2026 Tax Year
“Refundable” means you get the money even if you owe no state income tax. Amounts marked 2025 are the latest the state has published; they’re adjusted for inflation, so the 2026 figure will be a little higher.
| State | Credit per child | Child’s age | Income limit | Refundable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Up to $1,189 per return (2025) | Under 6 | Earned income under about $32,900; must qualify for CalEITC | Yes |
| Colorado | $1,200, $600 or $200 by income | Under 6 | Up to $77,000 single, $87,000 joint (2025) | Yes |
| Maine | About $300 per dependent, doubled under 6 | Any dependent | Shrinks above about $100,000 single, $150,000 joint | Yes |
| Maryland | $500 | Under 6 (under 17 if disabled) | Phases out from $15,000 to $24,000 AGI | Yes |
| Massachusetts | $440 per dependent | Under 13 | No income limit | Yes |
| Minnesota | $1,800 | Under 18 | Gone at $56,065 joint, $50,905 others with one child (higher with more kids) | Yes |
| New Jersey | Up to $1,250 | 5 or younger | Taxable income up to $80,000 | Yes |
| New Mexico | $53 to $637 (2025) | Dependent children | Shrinks as income rises | Yes |
| New York | $1,000 under 4; $500 ages 4 to 16 | Under 17 | Phases out above $110,000 joint, $75,000 single | Yes |
| Oregon | $1,050, up to 5 kids (2025) | Under 6 | Full under $26,550; gone at $31,550 (2025) | Yes |
| Vermont | $1,000 | 6 or younger | Phases out from $125,000 to $175,000 | Yes |
| Arizona | $125 | Under 17 | Reduced above $200,000 single, $400,000 joint | No |
| Georgia | $250 (new for 2026) | Under 6 | None in the law summary | No |
| Oklahoma | 5% of your federal CTC (about $110) or 20% of the federal child care credit | Under 17 | Federal AGI up to $100,000 | No |
| Utah | $1,000 | Under 6 | Phases out above $49,000 single, $61,000 joint | No |
| District of Columbia | None in force: Congress overturned the $1,000 credit (Feb 2026) | Was under 18 | n/a | n/a |
| Rhode Island (starts 2027) | $330 | 18 or younger | Phases out above about $88,500 single | Yes |
California’s Young Child Tax Credit is per return, not per child, so two toddlers don’t double it. It also only pays if you qualify for the California EITC. Colorado’s bigger Family Affordability Tax Credit, worth up to $3,273 for a young child in 2025, isn’t available for 2026, so only its smaller child credit is in the table.
How Much a Family Actually Gets: Four Examples
Minnesota, married couple, two kids (ages 4 and 9), $35,000 income. At $35,000 they’re below where Minnesota starts phasing the credit down, so they get the full $3,600 ($1,800 each). It’s refundable, so it comes back as cash even if they owe nothing to the state.
New York, single parent, kids ages 2 and 7, $50,000 income. That’s under the $75,000 phase-out. The 2-year-old is worth $1,000 and the 7-year-old $500, for $1,500.
Utah, married couple, one 3-year-old, $65,000 income. They’re $4,000 over Utah’s $61,000 threshold, and the credit drops 10 cents for each dollar over. That cuts $400 off the $1,000, leaving $600. Because Utah’s credit is nonrefundable, they only get it if they owe at least $600 in Utah tax.
Maryland, single parent, one 4-year-old, $20,000 AGI. The credit drops $50 for every $1,000 over $15,000. Five steps of $50 leaves $250, paid even with no tax owed.
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Refundable or Not: Why It Matters Most for Lower Incomes
Eleven of the state credits are refundable. If your state tax bill is $0, a refundable credit still pays the full amount as a refund. A nonrefundable credit can only cut tax you owe, so a family that owes $200 gets at most $200 of a $1,000 credit.
That’s why Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma and Utah help middle-income families more than the lowest-income ones. In the refundable states, the biggest winners are often families who owe little or no tax.
Some states go further. New York pays its credit even with no income at all, and Massachusetts says you must file a state return, even with nothing to report, to get the $440.
What Changed for 2026 and What’s Coming in 2027
Several states changed their credits this year, so older lists you find online may be out of date.
- New Jersey: every income tier rose 25% for tax years 2026 through 2028, so the top credit went from $1,000 to $1,250.
- New York: the credit for kids ages 4 to 16 rose from $330 to $500 for 2026 and 2027. Kids under 4 stay at $1,000.
- Arizona: the dependent credit rose from $100 to $125.
- Georgia: a brand-new $250 credit for kids under 6 starts with 2026 returns.
- Utah: the phase-out now starts higher, at $61,000 for joint filers (up from $54,000).
- Maryland: the credit phases out between $15,000 and $24,000 instead of stopping cold at $15,000, and counties can now add their own credit on top.
- Colorado: the larger Family Affordability Tax Credit is paused for 2026.
- Idaho: the $205 credit expired after 2025.
- Rhode Island: a new $330 refundable credit for kids 18 and under starts in 2027, adjusted for inflation each year after.
Where State Child Credits Trip Families Up
I get questions about these credits every filing season, and the same few problems keep coming up.
- Not filing a state return. If you don’t owe tax, it’s tempting to skip the state return. In a refundable state, that’s leaving hundreds or thousands of dollars on the table.
- Missing the age cutoff. Most states check your child’s age on December 31. A child who turns 6 in December 2026 is too old for the under-6 credits in California, Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, Utah and Georgia.
- Assuming it works like the federal credit. Several states, including Minnesota and New Jersey, use their own income tests, and a few, like California, count your earned income instead of AGI.
- Filing married separately. Massachusetts doesn’t allow the credit on separate returns, and several other states shrink it.
- Forgetting part-year residence. Georgia and others prorate the credit if you moved in or out during the year.
Pair your state credit with the federal Child Tax Credit and its phase-outs, and check whether you also qualify for the federal EITC, which most of these same states top up. If you claim the federal refundable credits, expect the PATH Act hold on early refunds before your money arrives.
What I’m Watching for the 2027 Tax Year
Most state legislatures meet between January and June, so the next round of changes lands in spring 2027. Here’s what’s on my list:
- New indexed amounts. California, Oregon, Maine and New Mexico adjust their credits for inflation, and the official 2026 figures come out with the 2026 state forms around January.
- DC’s credit. Congress overturned DC’s law in February 2026, and DC’s attorney general says the vote came too late. I’m watching whether DC’s tax office lets families claim it on 2026 returns.
- More states joining. Rhode Island is the newest. A few states considered credits in 2026, and Maryland’s new county option could add local credits on top of the state’s.
- New York’s expansion. The $500 amount for older kids is set for 2026 and 2027, so the 2027 budget will decide what happens after that.
I’ll update this table when the 2026 state forms are published and again after the 2027 legislative sessions. For the bigger picture on credits for kids at every age, see my guide to kids and education tax credits, and for newborns, how Trump Accounts add a $1,000 deposit.
The state amounts above come from each state’s revenue department and enacted laws, including the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Colorado Department of Revenue and Mass.gov. This page is general information, not tax advice for your situation.
