On Friday the IRS and partners across the nation encouraged taxpayers across the country to check to see if they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. It marked the 5th annual EITC awareness day. This credit is both one of the most missed and most abused tax breaks on the books, precisely because it is so complicated to determine eligibility and the credit amounts.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created a new category of families with three or more children and increased the maximum benefit of EITC for tax years 2009 and 2010. The Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2010 extended these changes through 2012.
The maximum credit for 2010 tax returns is $5,666 for workers with three or more qualifying children. However, workers without qualifying children may also be eligible for a smaller credit amount.
"Millions of workers who did not earn high incomes claimed the EITC last year," said Doug Shulman, IRS commissioner. "The IRS encourages all eligible taxpayers to claim this valuable credit. Together with our partners, we can help taxpayers file their returns and get the EITC."
Workers who earned $48,362 or less from wages, self-employment or farm income last year could receive larger refunds if they qualify for the EITC. Four out of five eligible taxpayers claimed the EITC last year obtaining an extra $2,200 from the credit on average. This represents a critical financial boost to over 26 million workers who earn low to moderate incomes.
Eligibility for the EITC is determined based on a number of factors including earnings, filing status and eligible children. Many people who experienced a change in these factors will qualify for the first time this year and may not be aware of the credit.