If you mean tax year 2025 returns filed in 2026, several states have their own child tax credits—but eligibility, amounts, and filing rules differ, and not every child-related tax benefit is a child tax credit. Verified 2025 details are available here for New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, and Illinois; this is not a complete list of every state program.
These state benefits are separate from the federal Child Tax Credit. Check the instructions for your state’s 2025 return before filing: a state program’s existence or rules in another tax year do not establish that you qualify for it on a 2025 return.
How does the federal Child Tax Credit compare?
For tax year 2025, the federal Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child. Up to $1,700 per child may be refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), subject to eligibility rules; the IRS requires at least $2,500 of earned income for the ACTC. The full federal credit generally applies up to annual income of $200,000, or $400,000 for joint filers, with a partial credit potentially available above those limits. The taxpayer—or one spouse on a joint return—and the child must meet the IRS Social Security number rules. Use Schedule 8812 to determine your federal eligibility and amount.
Which states have verified 2025 child-credit details?
The table summarizes the 2025 details established for these five states. Refundability matters: a refundable credit can potentially exceed tax owed and be paid as a refund, while a nonrefundable credit generally cannot. Where a 2025 amount is not established here, the table says so rather than estimating it.
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| State | Refundability and amount or calculation | Child and income rules | How to claim or check |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Refundable; up to $1,000 per eligible child age five or younger. For full-year residents, the amount is $1,000 per child at taxable income up to $30,000; $800 above $30,000 through $40,000; $600 above $40,000 through $50,000; $400 above $50,000 through $60,000; and $200 above $60,000 through $80,000. | Child must be claimable as a federal deduction. Taxpayer needs an SSN or ITIN and cannot file married filing separately. Part-year residents’ credit is prorated by months of residency. | Claim on Form NJ-1040. The New Jersey Division of Taxation also says eligible people who are not required to file a resident return may use SimpleFile. |
| New York | Refundable Empire State child credit: $1,000 per qualifying child under four; $330 per child aged four through 16. | Full-year New York resident with at least one qualifying child under 17 at year-end. Credit declines by $16.50 for each $1,000 of federal AGI above $110,000 for joint filers, $75,000 for single, head-of-household, or qualifying surviving spouse filers, and $55,000 for married filing separately. Filer and each listed child need a valid SSN or ITIN. | Claim on Form IT-213 with the 2025 return. |
| Minnesota | Refundable; up to $1,750 per qualifying child, with no cap on the number of children. Phaseout begins above $31,950, or $37,910 for joint filers. | Part-year residents may qualify and must adjust based on the share of income taxable to Minnesota. Listed exclusions include full-year nonresidents, people barred from claiming federal EITC, and people who are another taxpayer’s dependent or qualifying child. | Generally use Schedule M1DQC to identify qualifying children and Schedule M1CWFC to calculate the credit; check the forms for the intended tax year. |
| Colorado | The Colorado Child Tax Credit is distinct from the Family Affordability Tax Credit. Exact 2025 amounts are not stated in the Colorado material summarized here. | Amounts depend on qualifying children and income; use the 2025 rules rather than assuming a flat payment. | After completing the federal return and Colorado individual return, include the required state credit schedule. Colorado directs filers to year-specific DR 0104CN. |
| Illinois | Linked to Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit eligibility; not a flat payment for every family with a child. | Taxpayer must qualify for Illinois EITC and have at least one dependent child under age 12 at the end of 2025. EITC income and other requirements apply; some ITIN filers may have expanded access. | Follow the calculation steps in Schedule IL-E/EITC instructions. |
What should you know about each state’s rules?
New Jersey: check residency and filing status
The tiered amount in the table is for full-year residents. New Jersey prorates the credit for part-year residency. The state also identifies free electronic filing and volunteer tax-preparation help as options; consult the Division of Taxation for eligibility and current filing routes.
New York: use the 2025 age bands, not later-year amounts
New York’s tax agency describes higher age-band amounts for 2026 and 2027. Those later-year amounts do not apply to a 2025 return filed in 2026. Use the 2025 Form IT-213 instructions.
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Minnesota: confirm year-specific thresholds and residency treatment
Minnesota allows eligible taxpayers to elect part of the following year’s credit in three advance payments. The credit’s calculation and thresholds should be checked against the current forms for the tax year you are filing. Minnesota also lists e-filing, free e-filing for eligible taxpayers, and free tax-preparation help among filing options.
Colorado: keep the two named credits separate
Colorado has both a state Child Tax Credit and a Family Affordability Tax Credit. The Colorado Department of Revenue says the amount depends on qualifying children and income and directs filers to the year-specific DR 0104CN schedule. Do not infer a 2025 amount from a different year’s form.
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Illinois: the child credit depends on EITC eligibility
Illinois’s credit is tied to the state EITC, so meeting the child-age condition alone is not enough. Review Schedule IL-E/EITC for its income and other eligibility rules and the calculation steps, including provisions relevant to some ITIN filers.
Does every state with a child-related benefit have a state Child Tax Credit?
No. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) says 15 states have enacted a state child tax credit, with fixed credit limits ranging from $75 to $3,200 and percentage-based credits ranging from 5% to 33% of the federal credit. NCSL’s figure covers enactments from 2013 onward; it is not, by itself, proof that each program applies to tax year 2025.
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NCSL also lists child-related credits and programs in Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont. That broader group includes different mechanisms, such as dependent benefits and other child-linked tax provisions. A deduction, dependent credit, or EITC-linked benefit is not automatically a state Child Tax Credit, and the broader list should not be read as a definitive list of credits available on 2025 returns.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do you claim your state’s credit?
- Identify the return year. For this article, the relevant return is for tax year 2025, generally filed in 2026.
- Check your state revenue department’s 2025 instructions. Confirm the credit’s name, eligibility, refundability, income limits, residency rules, and qualifying-child definition.
- Use the required form or schedule. For the states above, the relevant filings include NJ-1040, IT-213, Minnesota Schedules M1DQC and M1CWFC, Colorado’s year-specific DR 0104CN, and Illinois Schedule IL-E/EITC.
- Check whether you must file a state return. Some states provide a route to claim a benefit even if you otherwise are not required to file; New Jersey’s SimpleFile is one stated example.
- Review free filing and preparation options. State agencies may list free e-filing or volunteer assistance for eligible taxpayers. Confirm availability and eligibility with the state before relying on a particular option.
State amounts and rules can change. Use the official 2025 instructions for the state where you lived or earned taxable income, and do not substitute a current-year credit description for the rules that apply to the return you are filing.
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