​EITC Payment 2025: Who is eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit? 

CONNOR REID
09/02/2025
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12:15
CSTThe Earned Income Tax Credit is a federal tax benefit for workers with low or moderate incomes, regardless of whether they have children. Also known as the Earned Income Credit, this credit offers tax relief that varies depending on the employee’s income, marital status and the number of dependents claimed.It can even be refundable, which means that if you qualify for this credit, you can lower your tax bill by the amount of the credit. If the credit is more than your taxes, you get the difference back.An incredible moment! Rare black fish caught on film for the first timeInvestment income limit: To qualify for the EITC, your investment earnings cannot exceed $11,600 in 2024 (when you file taxes in 2025). This threshold will increase to $11,950 for investment income earned in 2025 (when you file taxes in 2026).Required age: If you are applying for the EITC without qualifying children, you must be between 25 and 65 years of age. If filing jointly without children, only one spouse must meet this age requirement.Foreign income: You do not need to file Forms 2555 or 2555-EZ for income from outside the U.S.Special conditions for separated couples: If you are separated but still married, you may qualify for the EITC, as long as you do not file a joint return. Your child must live with you for more than half of the year and you must not have lived with your spouse for the last six months or have a formal separation agreement.Workers also need to meet other requirements that are critical to this program:Be US residents or foreigners with resident status throughout the yearFile a tax return, even if your income does not reach the threshold that would normally require you to fileHave a valid Social Security number (SSN) for yourself, your spouse (if filing jointly), and each dependent who is eligible for the EITCFile the return without including Form 2555, which corresponds to foreign income.We invite you to be very aware, as the process can be a bit tedious, depending on the scenario in which you find yourself, but complete your process or application with peace of mind, as an error could cost you dearly, consequences that reach up to 10 years of prohibition from claiming this program. Feel free to review your forms in time and form.