Receive Up To $4,400 (EITC)

EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) is a special tax benefit for people who work full or part-time. If you qualify, you'll owe less in taxes and you may get cash back. Even if you don't owe income tax, you could get the EITC. But you must file a tax return. If you live with two or more children and your family earned less than $37,263, you could get up to $4,400.

Even workers who aren't raising children can get the EITC. If you were eligible for this benefit, but did not know it, you could claim the EITC for three years back. Legal immigrants with social security numbers who are employed are eligible for the EITC. If you are in the process of establishing your legal immigrant status, you are not eligible, but once you become legalized you can retroactively claim the EITC for the previous 3 years.

EITC does not count as income in determining benefits like cash assistance, food stamps, SSI, Medicaid or public housing. Some benefit programs count the EITC against resource tests in certain circumstances. For more information, visit a free VITA tax preparation site or the EITC mobile unit.

2009 EITC ARRA Changes and Inflation Adjustments 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provide a temporary increase in the earned income tax credit (EITC) for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children. The maximum EITC for this new category is $5,657. More information about this new category can be found at http://www.eitc.irs.gov.