What Is An Earned Income Tax Credit?

An earned income tax credit is a credit for people who don't have a high income. To be eligible you have to have made less than 13,000 dollars in a year, if you are single and have no children. If you are single and have one child that lives with you, the limit on income is no more than approximately 35,000 dollars in one year. If you are single and have two children that live with you, your income cannot exceed approximately 40,000 dollars . If single with three children that reside with you it's around a 43,000 dollar limit.

An earned income tax credit, sometimes called an EITC, is for people that have low wages so they can lower their income tax responsibility and in some cases get them a refund. Generally, an EITC is for low income wage earners that also have children. You must be a citizen of the U.S. or a resident alien or married to a U.S. citizen and filing your taxes jointly.

To get an EITC, your children have to qualify by being 18 years of age or less, a dependent and you must be related to them biologically or legally. Your child can also qualify if they are a full time student under 24 years old. Qualifying children "of any age" may be eligible if they are permanently disabled.

For more information on earned income tax credit and whether or not you might be eligible, you can go to this IRS website and find out more.

If you attempt to get an earned income tax credit by intentionally giving inaccurate information you may be disqualified from getting an earned income tax credit for two to ten years later.

The chart below is a basic breakdown of how much credit you may be allowed, based on your income and children.