Parents leave money on the table every filing season, usually by missing a credit that required one extra form. These five come up the most.
1. The Child Tax Credit
A per-child credit for qualifying children under the age limit, with a portion refundable for families whose tax bill is already low. You have to file to get it, even if your income is below the filing requirement - which is exactly the group that most often skips filing.
2. The Credit for Other Dependents
A smaller credit for dependents who don't meet the Child Tax Credit rules: a teenager who aged out, a college student you support, a parent or relative living with you. Many families support someone who qualifies and never claim it.
3. The Child and Dependent Care Credit
If you paid for care so you could work or look for work, part of that cost can come back as a credit. Daycare, after-school programs, and summer day camp generally count; overnight camp doesn't. You need the provider's name, address, and tax ID - get it before they close for the year.
4. Education credits
The American Opportunity Credit covers undergraduate costs for a limited number of years and is partly refundable; the Lifetime Learning Credit is smaller but covers a wider range of coursework, including a single class to keep a job skill current. Parents paying tuition for a dependent claim it on their own return.
5. The EITC, with children
The Earned Income Tax Credit gets substantially larger with each qualifying child, up to a cap. Families sometimes claim the Child Tax Credit and stop, not realizing the EITC is a separate calculation on the same return.
A note on split households
When parents live apart, only one can claim a given child for most of these credits, and the rules turn on where the child physically lived for more than half the year - not on who pays more support. Sort it out before filing; duplicate claims freeze both refunds.