Tax credits are some of the most valuable tools around to help cut your tax bill. But figuring out how to use these credits on your tax return can get complicated very quickly. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding the difference

To help illustrate the difference between a credit and a deduction, here’s an example of a single taxpayer making $50,000 in 2024.

• Tax Deduction Example: Savi Lesse earns $50,000 and owes $5,000 in taxes. If you add a $1,000 tax deduction, she’ll decrease her $50,000 income to $49,000, and owe about $4,800 in taxes.Result: A $1,000 tax deduction decreases Savi’s tax bill by $200, from $5,000 to $4,800.
• Tax Credit Example: Now let’s assume Ima Smart has a $1,000 tax credit instead of a $1,000 tax deduction. Ms. Smart’s tax bill decreases from $5,000 to $4,000, while her $50,000 income stays the same.Result: A $1,000 tax credit decreases Ms. Smart’s tax bill from $5,000 to $4,000.

In this example, your tax credit is five times as valuable as a tax deduction.

What you need to know

Credits are generally worth much more than deductions. There are several hurdles you have to clear, though, before being able to take advantage of a credit. To illustrate these hurdles, consider the popular child tax credit.

Hurdle #1: Meet basic qualifications. You can claim a $2,000 tax credit for each qualifying child you have on your 2024 tax return. The good news is that the IRS’s definition of a qualifying child is fairly broad, but there are enough nuances to the definition that Hurdle #1 could get complicated.

Hurdle #2: Meet income qualifications. If you make too much money, you can’t claim the credit.

Hurdle #3: Meet income tax qualifications. To claim the entire $2,000 child tax credit in 2024, you must owe at least $2,000 of income tax.

Take the tax credit…but get help!

The bottom line is that tax credits are usually more valuable than tax deductions. But tax credits also come with many rules that can be confusing. It’s always best to get help.