How this calculator works
Historical proposal: House-passed Build Back Better Act, November 19, 2021, intended tax year 2022. It proposed extending the 2021 expanded child-credit amounts through 2022 and making refundability permanent thereafter. Those child-credit provisions did not become law. This worksheet compares the proposed fully refundable 2022 credit with then-existing 2022 CTC rules, using the actual $1,500 indexed ACTC cap for the baseline. It assumes qualifying children and US residence requirements are met. Other-dependent credits and advance-payment administration are excluded.
Formula
Proposed 2022 credit uses the 2021 $3600 / $3000 child amounts and two-step income phaseout. Baseline CTC = usable non-refundable credit plus basic ACTC limited by $1500 per qualifying child and 15% of earned income over $2500.
Worked example
With one child aged 4 and one aged 9, $60,000 MAGI and enough tax liability, the baseline child credit is $4,000. The proposed expanded amount would have been $6,600, a $2,600 increase.
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Frequently asked questions
Was this credit extension enacted?
No. This is a reconstruction of the November 2021 House proposal. It does not state current law or promise a payment.
Why specify the version of the bill?
Earlier drafts proposed different extension periods and administration. This page models the November 19 House-passed version for 2022 only.
Does the calculator cover the whole bill?
No. It focuses on the individual child-credit proposal, not corporate tax, climate spending or other provisions.