GET TAX HELP (800) 536-0734

Optima Tax Relief provides assistance to individuals struggling with unmanageable IRS tax burdens. To assess your tax situation and determine if you qualify for tax relief, contact us for a free consultation.

older husband and wife

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is known as a refundable tax credit that applies to low and moderate-income workers. For those who have children, the amount will vary based on the number of kids placed on their tax return. For the tax year 2020, the current earned income credit ranges from $538 to $6,660. 

If you qualify for this tax credit, be sure to claim it on your tax return so you can get the most out of your tax refund. Here’s how you know whether or not you qualify.

In order to know if you qualify for EITC you have to ensure that your earned income does not exceed a certain range. Taxpayers can meet the requirements for EITC without a qualifying child if you have a child that meets all the qualifying child rules for you or your spouse if filing a joint return. Taxpayers can utilize the EITC Assistant to find out their filing status and how they can qualify.

In order to meet the standards for an EITC credit you must use one of the following statuses:

  • Married filing jointly
  • Head of household
  • Qualifying widow of widower
  • Single

For those filing married filing separately, they will not be able to claim the EITC. If you or your spouse are a nonresident alien for any part of the year, you will be unable to claim the EITC unless your filing status is married filing jointly. 

Additional 2019 income rules taxpayers must follow in order to qualify for the EITC:

  • Tax year investments must be $36,000 or less.
  • Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income, Form 2555-EZ, and Foreign Earned Income Exclusion can’t be filed.
  • Total earned income must be at least $1.

If you need tax help, contact us for a free consultation.