United States Benefit

Earned Income Tax Credit

Also known as: EITC, EIC

The EITC is a refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income working individuals and couples, particularly those with children.

At a Glance

  • Must have earned income from employment or self-employment.
  • AGI must be less than $18,591 (single) or $25,511 (married)with no qualifying children (2024 tax ...
  • AGI limits increase with qualifying children:1 child: $49,084/$56,0042 children: $55,768/$62,6883...
  • Investment income must be $11,600 or less (2024).
  • + 4 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Earned Income

Required

Must have earned income from employment or self-employment.

earned_income > 0 dollars

Income Limit (No Children)

Required

AGI must be less than $18,591 (single) or $25,511 (married)with no qualifying children (2024 tax year).

adjusted_gross_income < 18591 dollars

All of:

  • AND qualifying_children = 0

Income Limit (With Children)

Required

AGI limits increase with qualifying children:1 child: $49,084/$56,0042 children: $55,768/$62,6883+ children: $59,899/$66,819

adjusted_gross_income < 59899 dollars

Investment Income Limit

Required

Investment income must be $11,600 or less (2024).

investment_income < 11600 dollars

Filing Status

Required

Cannot file as married filing separately.

filing_status not in [married_filing_separately]

Citizenship/Status

Required

Must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien for the entire year.

citizenship_status in [us_citizen, resident_alien_full_year]

Valid SSN

Required

You, your spouse (if filing jointly), and any qualifyingchildren must have valid Social Security numbers.

has_valid_ssn = true

Not a Dependent

Required

Cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person's return.

can_be_claimed_as_dependent = false

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

View as JSON
{"service_id":"eitc","effective_date":"2024-01-01","rules":[{"id":"earned-income","key":"earned_income","operator":"greater_than","value":0,"unit":"dollars","requirement":"required","label":"Earned Income","description":"Must have earned income from employment or self-employment."},{"id":"income-limit-no-children","key":"adjusted_gross_income","operator":"less_than","value":18591,"unit":"dollars","requirement":"required","label":"Income Limit (No Children)","description":"AGI must be less than $18,591 (single) or $25,511 (married)\nwith no qualifying children (2024 tax year).\n","conditions":[{"id":"no-children","key":"qualifying_children","operator":"equals","value":0}]},{"id":"income-limit-with-children","key":"adjusted_gross_income","operator":"less_than","value":59899,"unit":"dollars","requirement":"required","label":"Income Limit (With Children)","description":"AGI limits increase with qualifying children:\n1 child: $49,084/$56,004\n2 children: $55,768/$62,688\n3+ children: $59,899/$66,819\n"},{"id":"investment-income","key":"investment_income","operator":"less_than","value":11600,"unit":"dollars","requirement":"required","label":"Investment Income Limit","description":"Investment income must be $11,600 or less (2024)."},{"id":"filing-status","key":"filing_status","operator":"not_in","values":["married_filing_separately"],"requirement":"required","label":"Filing Status","description":"Cannot file as married filing separately."},{"id":"citizenship","key":"citizenship_status","operator":"in","values":["us_citizen","resident_alien_full_year"],"requirement":"required","label":"Citizenship/Status","description":"Must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien for the entire year.\n"},{"id":"ssn","key":"has_valid_ssn","operator":"equals","value":true,"requirement":"required","label":"Valid SSN","description":"You, your spouse (if filing jointly), and any qualifying\nchildren must have valid Social Security numbers.\n"},{"id":"not-dependent","key":"can_be_claimed_as_dependent","operator":"equals","value":false,"requirement":"required","label":"Not a Dependent","description":"Cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person's return."}]}

Quick Info

Agency
SSA
Category
Tax
Last Verified
2026-01-13

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