EITC has helped America’s working families since 1975

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and partners around the nation today celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) with the launch of this year’s EITC Awareness Day campaign. 

The annual campaign, now in its 19^th year, helps increase awareness among the millions of working Americans with a low-to-moderate income who are eligible for the EITC. The IRS estimates that roughly one in five eligible taxpayers miss out on claiming this valuable credit.  

EITC was signed into law on March 29, 1975. Through numerous legislative changes, the tax break has helped encourage work and lift many financially challenged families out of poverty. 

As of December 2024, approximately 23 million workers and families had received about $64 billion total from the EITC, according to IRS statistics. On average, eligible taxpayers received $2,743 from the credit in tax year 2023. 

For the past 19 years, the IRS has invited community organizations, elected officials, state and local governments, schools, employers and other interested parties to join this national grassroots effort to help reach workers eligible for the credit. IRS offers an online social media toolkit with sample text and downloadable graphics to help spread the word about the EITC. 

Who is eligible to claim the EITC? 

Workers may use the EITC Assistant, an online tool, to check their eligibility, which may be affected by changes in marital, parental or financial status. Workers also may visit the Child-related Tax Benefits Comparison page to learn more about basic eligibility rules for the EITC and several other tax credits. 

EITC is for workers whose income did not exceed the following limits in 2024:

*Investment income limit: $11,600 

Workers also must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or resident alien all year.
• File a tax return even if their income level doesn’t usually require them to file.
• Have a valid Social Security number (SSN) for themselves, as well as for their spouse, if filing a joint return, and for each qualifying dependent claimed for the EITC.
• File a return without Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income.

Eligible workers between the ages of 25 and 64 who have no dependents may receive up to $632 by claiming the EITC, while married but separated spouses who do not file a joint return may qualify for the EITC if they meet certain requirements.

Those with qualifying children can receive a maximum of $7,830 when claiming the EITC for tax year 2024, up from $7,430 in tax year 2023