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Can I claim the Child Tax Credit with an ITIN instead of an SSN?

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The short answer

If you file your taxes with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number, you cannot claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for yourself. But according to the IRS Child Tax Credit page, you may still be able to claim the Child Tax Credit — as long as your child has a valid Social Security number.

What the Child Tax Credit requires

Per the IRS Child Tax Credit page, the child must be under 17 and must have a valid SSN. The page also shows the credit amount per child and the refundable portion — a certified preparer can tell you exactly what that means for your family.

Why the EITC is different

The IRS EITC tables require a valid SSN for the worker claiming the credit and for each qualifying child. An ITIN does not meet that requirement, so a parent filing with an ITIN cannot claim the EITC — but that does not stop the Child Tax Credit if the child has an SSN.

• ITIN parent + child with SSN: Child Tax Credit may be possible; EITC is not, for the parent.
• ITIN parent + child without SSN: neither credit applies to that child.

Can you still claim past years?

Per the IRS rule on claiming a refund, you can file a past year and still get a refund within three years of that year's original due date. So if you did not file, or did not claim the Child Tax Credit in a recent year, that year may still be open. Ask a VITA preparer or check your own IRS transcript to confirm the exact cutoff date and what was already claimed.

Cash income and reporting

If you were paid in cash or on a 1099, that income must be reported. Reporting it honestly does not hurt you — for a low earner it can even raise the EITC amount for a worker who does qualify. A VITA preparer handles the self-employment tax side of this for free.

Where to get help, for free

• Find a free, IRS-certified VITA site by ZIP code. Volunteers prepare and e-file for you at no cost.
• A VITA preparer signs your return and gives you a copy. "Refund advance" loans from paid preparers carry fees — VITA does not.
• Bring photo ID, Social Security cards or ITIN letters for everyone in the household, income documents (W-2, 1099, cash income records), and last year's return if you have it.

What to do next

This page is general information, not tax advice, and it can be wrong. The free Tax Credit Check tool reads your own household details and numbers — who's in the family, income, whether an SSN or ITIN was used, and whether you filed — and tells you which credits you likely qualify for and which years are still open. Then confirm everything with a free, IRS-certified VITA preparer.

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.