What this line means
The combined modified adjusted gross income of all dependents who are required to file a tax return. Calculate modified AGI for each dependent the same way you calculated yours on line 2a — their AGI plus any tax-exempt interest, non-taxable Social Security, and excluded foreign income. Add those amounts together and enter the total here.
Does this apply to you?
- You claim dependents who earned enough income to be required to file their own tax return
- You have a dependent child with investment income above the filing threshold
- You have a dependent with earned income above the standard deduction amount
- You claim a dependent who receives taxable Social Security benefits
Easy to overlook
A dependent’s part-time job income counts toward household income If your teenage child earned enough to file a return — even if no tax is owed — that income adds to your household income for PTC purposes. A dependent who earned $14,600 or more in 2025 has a filing requirement, and their income goes on this line. Parents sometimes overlook this because the dependent’s return is filed separately, but the PTC calculation pulls everything together. 1 IRS Form 8962 Instructions — Line 2b
Investment income triggers a filing requirement at a low threshold A dependent with more than $1,300 in unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) in 2025 must file a return. That unearned income then gets added to your household income on this line. A child with a custodial investment account generating $2,000 in dividends increases your household income by that amount — potentially reducing your PTC. 2 IRS Publication 974 — Premium Tax Credit
Watch out for this
Leaving this line blank when you have dependents with filing requirements. If a dependent is required to file and you enter zero here, your household income is understated. The IRS cross-references dependent returns with your Form 8962 and will send a notice adjusting your credit and requiring repayment of the difference.
Footnotes
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IRS Form 8962 Instructions, Line 2b. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8962 ↩
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IRS Publication 974, Premium Tax Credit, Household Income. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p974.pdf ↩