Is this just my stupid mistake

**lwlynch** · 03-26-2009, 04:11 PM

I did my irs and because my child is 17, I didnt get the child credit. So I called irs and they said because she is 17 and not under 17. Now is that just a stupid thing.. why not write it in black and white. Children 16 and under can only be claimed. Why is everything so hard? So stupid me.. we are short a $1000.00. So am I the only reading challenged...lol

**justpeachy92** · 03-26-2009, 04:25 PM

In the directions it does say that the child must be under the age of 17. I noticed that when dh and I did our taxes this year and thought it was wrong to cut the age of then. My dd will be 16 this year, so 09 taxes will be our last year to claim her for the tax credit. I get it if it was under the age of 18, cause at 18 she would legally be an adult.

**jas** · 03-26-2009, 04:30 PM

My dd just turned 16 on March 10 so all this year she will be 16. Next year by the time we file our taxes Feb she will still be 16. She won't be 17 until march 10th. Will we still be able to file the child tax credit? Duh! as I am writing this I have answered my own question. 2009 will be our last year. bummer. Guess we will have to adjust the numbers for 2010.

**Thevail** · 03-26-2009, 04:35 PM

I did wonder why they think a child suddenly costs less at 17 too...

Have they met 17 year olds??

**old_lady_in_the_shoe** · 03-26-2009, 04:54 PM

I noticed it this year too, and it is worded horribly. I read it to my hubby and he came up behind me and said no, they can be 17, and I said no listen to this AGAIN and re-read it. It is very confusing at first and would be much easier to just have said 16 and under! Leave it to the gooberment!

**bonnotsm9** · 03-26-2009, 07:45 PM

This is an ignorant question, but is the child tax credit supposed to expire in the next year or two? 2010 or 2011? I thought I read something about that in the news and now don't know where it was.

**FrugalMomof3** · 03-26-2009, 07:59 PM

I think it's ridiculous they even put an age cap on it, if your child lives at home and is over 17, do they not think we dont support them? 17 yr. olds these days cost more than toddlers, in my opinion.

**miss_thrifty** · 03-27-2009, 08:13 AM

well i know our child tax credit is up to 18 here. When oldest turned 7 i knew they would cut back and age 12. But when youngest wasn't until april the following year they took some off earlier at 6. because we start at July to July for taxes.