RUMOR: The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to children born to parents illegally in the U.S. Critics argue that automatic birthright citizenship could be changed by revoking the statute. Others say it would require a constitutional amendment because they believe the 14th Amendment requires birthright citizenship.
Answer: Each child can only be claimed as a dependent by one parent (except when married couples file taxes jointly). Typically, in the case of divorced, separated, or never married parents, it is the custodial parent who is legally able to claim a child as a dependent for tax purposes.
The Child Tax Credit allows parents and guardians to reduce their federal income tax by up to $1,000 for each qualifying child they have under the age of 17. If the amount of the Child Tax Credit exceeds your tax debt, you can claim the Additional Child Tax Credit and receive some of this back as a refund. In 2010 this credit phased out for married taxpayers who had an income of $110,000 or greater and for single filers at $55,000.