The child tax credit is poised to get a significant haircut by mid-decade, even if Democrats pass the most recent version of their $1.75 trillion social and climate plan.
Starting in 2026, the value of the tax break for parents would plunge by more than two-thirds relative to current law, to $1,000 per child from a maximum $3,600, if Congress doesn’t intervene.
That possibility is due to key aspects of two laws: a 2017 tax law passed by the Republican-controlled Congress, and the American Rescue Plan passed in March by the current Democratic majority.
