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Can grandparents raising grandchildren claim the Child Tax Credit?

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Yes, often — if you meet the tests

A grandparent raising a grandchild can often claim the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit for that child, according to the IRS. It is not automatic just because you are related. The IRS looks at where the child actually lives, the child's age, and the child's Social Security number. A VITA preparer checks all of this for free before anything is filed.

The residency, age, and SSN rules

• The child must live with you for more than half the year to be your "qualifying child," per the IRS.
• For the EITC, the child generally must be under 19, or under 24 if a full-time student, or any age if permanently disabled — and must not be claimed by someone else.
• For the Child Tax Credit, the child must be under 17 and have a valid Social Security number.
• For the EITC, you (the worker) also need a valid Social Security number, and you need earned income — a job, self-employment, or reported cash work.

What if the child's parent also claims them?

If more than one person tries to claim the same child, the IRS applies tiebreaker rules to decide who gets the credit. This situation is common when a grandparent has day-to-day custody but a parent is still involved. Don't guess — a VITA preparer can walk through the tiebreaker rules with you and tell you who should claim the child this year.

Cash income and self-employment

If you work for cash or get paid on a 1099, that income must be reported. Reporting it honestly can actually increase your EITC if you have a lower income — it doesn't only cost you. Self-employment tax may apply too, but a VITA preparer handles that math for free. Never leave income off, and never inflate it.

Past years you may still be able to claim

If you didn't file in past years because you thought you "didn't make enough" or didn't know you could claim your grandchild, you may still have time. The IRS lets you file and claim a refund for a past year within three years of that year's original due date. That means several recent tax years may still be open — but the cutoff date depends on the specific year, so confirm the exact date with a VITA preparer before assuming a year is closed. You can also request a free IRS transcript to see what, if anything, was already claimed on a return you filed.

What to do next

Use the free Tax Credit Check tool. Describe your household — who lives with you, roughly what everyone earned, and whether you've filed. It reads your own numbers and tells you which credits you likely qualify for, which years are still open, and what documents to bring. Then find a free IRS-certified VITA site by ZIP code and let a certified volunteer prepare and e-file your actual return. This tool is not tax advice and does not calculate your refund — only a certified preparer can do that.

Tax Credit Check explains federal tax credits in plain language from IRS sources; it can be wrong, and it is not tax advice. It does not compute refunds. File with an IRS-certified VITA volunteer (free) or a licensed preparer. Nothing you type is stored.