Expansions of the Child Tax Credit: Average Benefit by Income Group

How the American Rescue Plan Builds Upon the Existing Child Tax Credit

This chart shows average benefits of the current Child Tax Credit alongside individual provisions in the American Rescue Plan. When combined with existing law, the American Rescue Plan's expansion of the Child Tax Credit most dramatically benefits the lowest-income children and families.

Impacts of American Rescue Plan provisions making the Child Tax Credit fully refundable (no dollar cap or earnings limit) and increasing to $3,000/$3,600 in 2020 in the United States. (Limited to Taxpayers with Children Under Age 17)
Source: Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy microsimulation model, January 2021