EITC Checker: Eligibility and Credit Estimate

Your coworker mentions she got a $4,200 refund last year, but you both make about the same—$32,000. The difference? She has a child and claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit. You filed single without kids and didn't even know EITC existed for you. Turns out you left $600 on the table.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a fully refundable federal credit for low-to-moderate income workers. Unlike most credits that only reduce taxes owed, EITC can put cash in your pocket even if you owe nothing. For 2024, that's up to $7,830 for families with three or more kids, $6,960 with two, $4,213 with one, and $632 even without children. One in five eligible workers doesn't claim it—billions left uncollected each year.

This checker tells you whether you qualify, estimates your credit amount, and shows where you fall on the EITC curve—so you're not leaving money behind.

You Must Have

• Earned income: Wages, salary, tips, or net self-employment profit (gig work counts)
• Valid SSN: For you, your spouse (if filing jointly), and any qualifying children—ITINs don't work
• U.S. residency: Must be a citizen or resident alien for the entire tax year
• Filing status: Single, Head of Household, or Married Filing Jointly (MFS is disqualified)

You Cannot Have

• Investment income over $11,600 (2024): Interest, dividends, capital gains, and rental income combined
• Foreign earned income exclusion: If you file Form 2555, you're disqualified
• Married Filing Separately status: Always disqualified, even if you have children

Qualifying Child Requirements (if claiming children)

• Age: Under 19, or under 24 if a full-time student, or any age if permanently disabled
• Relationship: Your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or their descendant
• Residency: Lived with you in the U.S. for more than half the year
• Joint return: Child didn't file a joint return (except to claim a refund)

2024 Income Limits

Example 1: Single Parent Near the Plateau

Situation: Jasmine files Head of Household with one child (age 7). She earned $18,000 in wages. Her AGI is also $18,000.

Because her income is in the plateau zone, she receives the maximum credit regardless of her tax liability.

Example 2: Worker Without Children (Narrow Window)

Situation: Derek is 29, single, and earned $12,000 working part-time. No children. AGI equals his earnings.

Workers without children have a narrow income window. If Derek earned $19,000, he'd exceed the $18,591 limit and get zero EITC.

• Tax Year: 2024 or 2025. Credit amounts and income limits adjust for inflation each year.
• Filing Status: Single, Head of Household, or Married Filing Jointly. If you select Married Filing Separately, you're automatically disqualified.
• Qualifying Children: Kids who meet age, relationship, and residency tests. More children = higher credit and higher income limit.
• Earned Income: Wages, salaries, tips, and net self-employment income. Do NOT include unemployment, Social Security, or investment income here.
• AGI (Adjusted Gross Income): Your total income minus adjustments (from your 1040). The IRS uses the higher of earned income or AGI for phase-out.
• Investment Income (optional): If this exceeds $11,600 (2024), you're disqualified entirely—even with low wages.

• Married Filing Separately: This status is disqualified by law, no exceptions. If you're married, you must file jointly to claim EITC—or possibly Head of Household if you lived apart from your spouse for the last 6 months of the year.
• Investment income over $11,600: If your interest, dividends, capital gains, and rental income combined exceed this threshold, you lose the entire credit—even if you earned only $10,000 in wages.
• Child lived with you less than half the year: Custody matters. If your child spent 7 months with your ex, you can't claim them for EITC (even if you claim them for CTC via Form 8332).
• You're someone else's dependent: If your parents can claim you as a dependent, you cannot claim EITC—even if they don't actually claim you.
• No earned income: EITC requires wages or self-employment income. If your only income is Social Security, unemployment, or investments, you don't qualify.
• Claiming Form 2555: If you exclude foreign earned income, you're disqualified from EITC even for your U.S.-sourced income.
• Income too high: At $60,000 (single with 3 kids) or $19,000 (single without kids), you're over the limit. Check the table above for exact thresholds.

We use the official IRS EITC tables to calculate your credit. First, we determine your tier based on qualifying children (0, 1, 2, or 3+). Then we calculate where your income falls: phase-in (credit increases with income), plateau (maximum credit), or phase-out (credit decreases). The credit is based on the higher of earned income or AGI for the phase-out calculation.

What we include: Federal EITC for all tiers, income limits for all filing statuses, phase-in/plateau/phase-out math, and investment income disqualification check.

What we don't include: State EITC programs (about 30 states offer additional credits), detailed qualifying child verification, or interaction with other credits like Child Tax Credit. This is an estimate—use the IRS EITC Assistant for official confirmation.