The Earned Income Tax Credit program (EIC)
What is the EIC?
The Earned Income Tax Credit program was created to give tax help to hard-working, low-income families. For the people who qualify, the Earned Income Credit, or EIC, reduces their income tax bill and may even generate a tax refund for those who did not pay income taxes.
To learn more about claiming the EIC, review the following steps:
Step 1: Find out if you qualify for the EIC
You must meet several requirements to claim the Earned Income Credit on your income tax return. The EIC is one of the most heavily audited tax credits, so it is a good idea to use a qualified tax program or seek professional help before you claim this child tax credit.
If you do claim the EIC, we recommend using an online tax preparation program to prepare your tax return, which will ensure you are qualified and that you’re preparing your tax return correctly. If you prefer to check yourself, you may review the requirements for claiming the Earned Income Credit (EIC) .
Step 2: I’m qualified. How do I claim the EIC?
To claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, you must complete a federal income tax return, even if you don’t owe any taxes or didn’t earn enough money to require filing an income tax return.
However, trying to compute the EIC on your own can be very tricky. There are Internal Revenue Service rules such as AGI and percentage limitations, separate rates, and phase-out limitations; plus, additional considerations if you have child-related Earned Income Credit (EIC) requirements , or if the IRS has ever denied or reduced your Earned Income Tax Credit.
Instead of trying to figure out these complexities on your own, consider using reliable income tax help such as an online tax preparation program , which helps you to best take advantage of the Earned Income Credit. An online tax preparation program helps determine if you are qualified to claim the EIC, and then assists you with preparing your tax returns by laying out all the new tax laws for you, providing all the IRS forms, calculating all the math, and helping answer your tax questions.
