tax credits are basically the only reason i still have a savings account, tbh. sitting on my porch in alexandria, va, it’s like 55 degrees and the wind keeps slapping me with leaves, whatever. just finished my 2024 return and yeah i used a paperclip again because who has staples in october? not me. anyway last year i finally stopped treating tax credits like some side quest and actually claimed them and my refund went from sad to less sad. here’s the chaos version of what i learned, typos and all.
why tax credits hit different
deductions? cool, whatever. tax credits? straight cash off the bill. i didn’t get this until my kid’s orthodontist bill made me cry and then the child tax credit wiped half of it. IRS doesn’t care about your feelings they just send the money. child tax credit info ← click it before you lose the tab like i did three times.
the tax credits i’m not screwing up this year
child tax credit – aka summer camp fund
- $2,000 per kid under 17
- paid for my daughter’s STEM camp instead of her watching youtube for 3 months
- income limit is higher this year if you make 200-400k joint, idk check the chart here
earned income tax credit – the one for us regular people
- up to $7430 if you got 3+ kids and make under 63k-ish
- i got it in 2021 when i was making $42k and eating cereal for dinner
- don’t skip schedule EIC even if turbotax says “are you sure” — i almost did and lost $1200
clean energy credit – my landlord won’t let me have nice things
- 30% off solar panels, no limit
- my neighbor got $9400 back and brags about it at HOA meetings
- energy star calculator — wish i owned a house
EV credit – the $7500 i’ll never see
- new or used electric cars
- i sat in a tesla once and almost bought it for the credit then remembered i live in an apartment
- IRS list of cars — don’t let the salesman lie
my worst tax credit moments (don’t @ me)
- 2019: thought lifetime learning credit was only for college kids. left $2000 while paying for coding bootcamp.
- 2022: forgot form 8863. IRS sent my check back with a sticky note that said “missing form” — i cried.
- 2023: paid H&R block $180 to tell me i could’ve filed free. cool.
how to not mess this up
- find your w2s before april (mine were in a pizza box once)
- use IRS free file if you make under 79k — no upsells
- google phase out limits at 1am like a normal person IRS tool
- e-file or wait 8 years for a check, your choice
still scared of audits lol
had one in 2018 over a $400 medical thing. kept receipts in a shoebox for 7 years. agent laughed. i did not. keep your stuff, you’ll be fine.
ok i’m done
tax credits won’t buy you a yacht but they’ll keep netflix on. i’m still the idiot who staples with hair pins but at least i’m not broke. check IRS credits page before april or don’t, i’m not your dad.
drop your tax wins in the comments i read them while eating goldfish and judging my life choices.