Massachusetts residents can claim the Child and Family Tax Credit with their personal income tax return for a qualifying dependent. The 2026 tax season is just a few weeks away; residents preparing for tax filing can check the full details here.
The state government offers this credit to support low-income families or individuals with dependents. This is the refundable Child and Family tax credit that you will receive along with your tax refund when you file the tax return.
The government has set no limits for the taxpayers on individuals for whom they can claim the credit. Massachusetts residents who wish to receive this credit can claim it with their 2025 tax return.
Who will receive the Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit?
Massachusetts residents can claim the Child and Family tax credit for the child, a dependent aged 65 or over, or a dependent/spouse with disabilities, when they meet the following eligibility requirements:
- The children who are under the age of 13 would qualify as dependents for the credit.
- If you have a dependent or spouse who is mentally or physically incapable of caring for themselves and depends on you and lives with you for more than half of the tax year.
- If you have a senior living with you, but that dependent cannot be you or your spouse in the respective tax year.
- You have a dependent who is disabled and totally depends on you.
- You can claim the credit if you are filing the tax return as an individual, head of household, married filing jointly, but not as married but filing the return separately.
What will be the Massachusetts Child and Family Tax Credit amount?
The Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the law in 2023, increasing the credit amount for the taxpayers eligible for the Child and Family Tax Credit. The law has eliminated the two-dependent limit from the credit, allowing individuals to claim the credit for everyone in the family who qualified as a dependent.
According to the law, the government has set the credit amount for each qualifying individual under the CFTC as $440. For the 2024 tax year, the credit amount was the same, and the department will offer the same credit this year, too.
However, there were proposals to increase the Child and Family Tax Credit, but there is no clear picture on it, so for now, expect the $440 for each qualifying for the credit. According to the reports, around 565,000 households get the benefit of this credit.
How to claim the Massachusetts CFTC?
The Massachusetts resident who has a qualifying dependent living with them and wants to receive the credit can follow the following steps:
- You will have to file the state tax return and claim the Child and Family Tax Credit through the following form:
- Residents with a qualifying dependent can claim the credit on Form 1, Line 46a.
- Part-year residents can claim the credit by filing Form 1-NR/PY, Line 50a.
- You can e-file the Massachusetts personal income tax return and claim the credit, but residents who do not have an SSN/ITIN for the qualifying individuals can only file a mail tax return and never e-file the tax return using the Massachusetts Alternative Taxpayer Identification Number.
When can you expect the Massachusetts CFTC refund?
Massachusetts residents who have filed the tax returns claiming the Child and Family Tax Credit can expect the refundable credit to process with the tax refund. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue processes the refund depending on the way you have filed or the payment you have selected, such as:
- E-filers with direct deposit can expect the refund to be processed in four to six weeks.
- Paper returns filers can expect the credit to process in 10 or more weeks.
Taxpayers can track the CFTC refund with the state online refund status tracker tools with your Social Security Number/ITIN, Tax year, and refund amount. You can also call the Massachusetts DOR toll-free number at (800) 392-6089 or (617) 887-6367.
Massachusetts residents who are preparing for the 2026 tax return should check whether they qualify for the Child and Family Tax credit to ensure they receive a larger refund and boost their purchasing power.
Disclaimer: Massachusetts Child & Family Tax Credit 2026 details are for informational purposes only. Official eligibility and credit amounts are determined by state tax authorities.
