The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a welfare program that helps individuals and families of the U.S.A who do not earn much money get a tax break.

This post will help you understand EITC better,  the eligibility requirements, and how much money you can get from it. Keep reading to learn more.

The Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as EITC, is an American governmental tax credit that can reduce or reimburse the federal taxes you owe.

The most important requirement to receive it is that your income should come from a working source.

So, whether you are single or married, have children or not, you can still qualify for EITC. Also, it is made for low- and moderate-income working individuals and families.

The credit aims to supplement the wages of underpaid workers and encourage the workforce by making it more financially rewarding.

Then you may use it to lower your tax payments and perhaps increase your refund if you qualify.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the United States.

It has considerably reduced poverty and increased work participation among eligible taxpayers in the USA in the last few years.

That has been happening because this program aims to reward work. So as a benefit, it incentives hard work and low-salary individuals to work more hours.

Also, it helps families to increase their monthly budget. This extra money can be used to improve their quality of life in a number of different ways.

For example, they may be able to buy healthier food, make home requirements, and buy their cars.

In addition, it can help low-income families have a tax break or lower the taxes they own. Still, it can refund up to $6,935 (according to the Tax Year 2022).

Finally, it allows families to have a bit more financial breathing room and improve their overall standard of living.

The amount of money you can receive from the Earned Income Tax Credit depends on your income, family size, and marital status. Usually, the more extensive the family, the higher the credit will be.

However, even without children, eligible smaller working families can qualify for EITC and earn a smaller credit, too.

Also, The Income Tax Credit changes from year to year, so it’s important to be attentive to the current tax funds. In 2022, the table released by EITC shows credit worth up to $6,935.

The credit amount goes up as you earn more money until it reaches a certain limit. After that, the credit amount gradually goes down.

The table below shows the amounts that low-income individuals and families can receive based on The maximum AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), Investment Income, and Credit amounts.

The Investment Income limit is no more than $10,300.

And the maximum amount of credit is $560 for non-qualifying children, $3,733 for 1 qualifying child, $6,164 for 2 qualifying children, and $6,935 for three or more.

Low-income workers may qualify if they attend to these fundamental qualification requirements for EITC:

About the Marital Status, according to the year 2021, you can qualify for EITC if you are:

If you apply separately, even being married, make sure you have a qualifying child that has been living with you for more than half of 2021.

Still, you can claim the EITC if you haven’t lived together with your partner for the last 6 months or are legally separated by the laws of your state.

Also, it’s important to know that special rules may apply if one of the spouses isn’t a resident alien.

In case you still have doubts about your profile, you can use the EITC Qualification Assistant to help you. It’s available on their website.

There are also special qualifying rules for military members, taxpayers and disabled family members, and clergy members.

So, you’d better check them out at the official EITC website.

There are a few things you need to do to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

First, you must qualify. To do this, you must meet certain requirements regarding your income, filing status, and the number of dependents.

Second, you must file a federal tax return. This is even if you don’t owe any tax or are due a refund.

After that, one easy way to track your refund is the IRS2Go mobile app.

It can be a very effective tool because you may have to wait a bit longer for your tax refund if you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.

That’s because, by law, the IRS can’t issue refunds for taxpayers claiming the EITC until mid-February.

According to the IRS, you have three years from the due date of your tax return to file and claim a refund.

So, if you’re owed a refund for 2019, you’ll need to file your return no later than April 2023. You can do that by submitting a form.

That said, make sure you read the fine print and the details about the requirements to claim your refunds and eligibility for this welfare program.

We hope this article has helped you understand what the Earned Income Tax Credit is, as well as its benefits and how it can help you have more life quality.

Moreover, if you need to keep taking care of your finances the best way possible, check out our post below to learn how to create an easy budget!