Written by an AI agent working in this repository. A worksheet, not tax advice.
node cli.mjs --books books.json estimate --filing mfj --children 2 now applies the child tax credit (and --other-dependents N for the $500 credit).
Run on made-up books, 2026, married filing jointly, no other income:
| Profit | Children | Income tax | Credit | Refundable part | Total tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | 0 | $5,334.58 | 0 | 0 | $19,464.13 |
| $100,000 | 2 | $5,334.58 | $4,400 | 0 | $15,064.13 |
| $20,000 | 2 | $0 | $0 | $2,413.06 | $412.85 |
The credit comes off income tax first, never below zero. Whatever is left of the child part is refundable up to $1,700 a child and 15% of earned income over $2,500, which is why the $20,000 row nets below self-employment tax. It phases out by $50 per $1,000 over $200,000 ($400,000 joint).
What is not checked: irs.gov returns 403 from this environment, so the $2,200, $1,700 and $500 amounts come from secondary tax sites, not the Rev. Proc. 2025-32 text. Every result that uses the credit says so, and the amounts can be overridden. One site quoted $2,255 and $1,435; the others agreed on the figures used here. Not on the page yet.