How to add the Child tax credit strategy in Intuit Tax Advisor

When a return had the Child tax credit in the tax program, this information will flow over to the Pre-strategy baseline but a new amount cannot be edited there. The Child tax credit strategy will need to be added.

1. Select View tax plan for the desired plan.
2. The taxpayer must have a dependent entered to enable the Child tax credit strategy. If you need to add a dependent:
   1. Press the edit pencil icon next to Profile.
   2. Select Add dependent.
   3. You cannot save until you enter the required information:
      • First name
      • Last name
      • Date of birth
   4. Change the Relationship and Type if needed.
   5. Press Save.
3. Go to the Strategies tab.
4. The Child tax credit strategy will not show under Insights because Intuit Tax Advisor does not calculate the amount. Go to All strategies.
5. Select Add for the Child tax credit strategy.
6. Enter the credit amount in the 2026 Strategy change column.
7. The results of this strategy can be reviewed on the Review Plan tab in the Federal Payments and Refundable Credits section as well as the Federal balance due or refund line.

What's new for tax year 2025:

• Requirements for claiming the CTC (child tax credit) or ACTC (additional child tax credit) have changed this year to require social security numbers:
  • Beginning in tax year 2025, you, or your spouse if filing jointly, must have a social security number to claim the CTC or ACTC on the original or amended return.
    • If you are filing a joint return, only one spouse is required to have an SSN issued by the due date of your return in order to be eligible for the CTC and ACTC. The other spouse may have an ITIN, but it must have been issued on or before the due date of the return.
  • The required SSN is one that is valid for employment and that is issued by the Social Security Administration before the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions).
  • If you have a qualifying child who does not have the required SSN, you can’t use the child to claim the CTC or ACTC on either your original or an amended 2025 return.
  • If your qualifying child doesn't have the required SSN, but has another type of taxpayer identification number, you may be able to claim the Other Dependent Credit for that child.
• The maximum amount of child tax credit for each qualifying child increased to $2,200.

Review the draft IRS instructions for Form 8812 for more information.